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Coyote destroyed after stalking dog walker in Tadanac

Trail RCMP inform there have been repeated complaints about this coyote stalking residents and pets
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RCMP officers responded to an aggressive coyote that was actively stalking a leashed dog and his owner through a Tadanac park the night of Tuesday, July 19. Photo: Unsplash

Police put down a coyote in Tadanac last week after receiving repeated complaints that the animal was stalking residents and their pets.

The final animal-human interaction was called into the Trail detachment just before 9 p.m., July 19.

Frontline RCMP officers responded to the report of an aggressive coyote that was actively stalking a leashed dog and his owner through a family park located in the 100 block of Ritchie Avenue.

The coyote had been the subject of previous reports to police and the BC Conservation Officer Service for stalking residents and domestic animals in the populated neighbourhood surrounding the park.

This night, the attending police officer safely dispatched the coyote without incident.

“To help prevent wildlife from becoming habituated, please take care to remove all food sources and attractants from your property,” Sgt. Mike Wicentowich said. “We can live beside wild animals peacefully with a little precaution.”

The coyote (Canis latrans) is a member of the dog family and is closely related to both the wolf and the domestic dog. The coyote’s range has increased since the arrival of Europeans and the reduction in wolf populations. Unlike wolves, coyotes are well-adapted to living close to human settlements. Coyotes are efficient hunters and can help control rodent populations.

Human-coyote conflicts can occur when they predate on young or small livestock or attack people’s pets. Free-ranging pets are at risk of coyote predation. While human attacks are rare, they can occur especially if coyotes become comfortable around humans and have received a food reward either through direct or indirect feeding.

On average, the Conservation Officer Service receives approximately 1,100 reports regarding coyotes every year. The majority are in urban areas, and generally increase slightly during coyote breeding season which begins in February.

Read more: Close call with coyote has West Kootenay cyclist warning others

Read more: Coyote destroyed in Trail



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Sheri Regnier

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