Alberta Fish and Wildlife urges residents to make coyotes feel unwelcome
With coyote populations rising in urban areas, provincial officials say residents can help by responding aggressively to sightings rather than ignoring the animals.
Why it matters
With coyote sightings increasing in Alberta neighbourhoods, residents' behaviour during encounters can affect both public safety and pet welfare.
Alberta Fish and Wildlife is asking residents to help manage growing urban coyote populations as fall approaches, warning that coyotes searching for food ahead of winter may target household pets. The agency says most population-control measures carry risks to people and animals, so it wants the public to change coyote behaviour by making encounters unpleasant for the animals.
Officials recommend making yourself appear larger by waving your arms or raising a stick, throwing rocks or other objects toward a coyote, shouting in a deep voice and maintaining eye contact. If a coyote keeps approaching, people should back away slowly toward buildings or areas with human activity rather than turning away or running, which could trigger a chase.
Fish and Wildlife also issued guidance for teaching children how to react, including never running from a coyote, yelling and raising their arms, and never approaching or feeding wildlife. Residents are also urged to keep dogs leashed, pick up dog waste, keep cats indoors, and keep yards and parks free of litter and food sources.
Anyone involved in an aggressive coyote encounter is asked to call the Report-A-Poacher line at 1-800-642-3800. More information on preventing urban coyote populations from expanding is available on the province's website.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.