An early morning routine became a jarring start to the day for Steven Simister and his puppy, Ellie.
Just after 5 a.m. Monday, as he let the young golden retriever outside for her morning relief, Simister spotted a coyote lurking outside his Glenmerry home.
“I usually open the door and let Ellie out, then stand on the porch and watch her,” said Simister. “But I saw the coyote walking down the street and thought, ‘Oh no,’ and ripped down the stairs to grab her and get her back inside because she’s still a puppy.”
Simister says the coyote stood and stared at him even after he began yelling at it.
“It still wasn’t leaving so I grabbed a snow brush and banged on the railing,” he recounted. “He did get kind of spooked and eventually carried on down the road towards Trail.”
The unsettling incident is just one example of many recent reports of coyotes hanging around urban areas of Trail.
One aggressive interaction on Tuesday in Sunningdale prompted a late-night alert by WildsafeBC.
Most reports have been from the Glenmerry area, says Desiree Profili from Rossland/Trail WildsafeBC.
“They don’t usually come into town like that,” she told the Trail Times, mentioning sightings in downtown Trail, Sunningdale, and the Rossland area. “But there’s been a few now that have been quite aggressive with pets.”
Many coyotes look like stray dogs, warns Profili.
“So make sure kids are aware not to pet or approach dogs unless they know them,” she emphasized. “The ones in town are being very aggressive so if approached, leave the area.
“Or if that is not possible, then hit the coyote with whatever is at hand.”
WildsafeBC strongly urges anyone bitten to seek medical attention.
Drivers are also encouraged to be extra vigilant after a coyote was hit on the highway near Mountain View Cemetery a few weeks ago.
While primarily nocturnal, coyotes can be active any time of the day.
The animals are efficient hunters, with extremely good hearing and a keen sense of smell.
They often prey upon small mammals and rodents, but coyotes will feed on whatever foods are readily available including insects and plants.
“Keep pets on a leash or in a well-fenced yard, and keep livestock inside at night,” Profili advises.
“Coyotes are pack hunters so they will actually use a small pack member to draw other animals into an area where they can attack them. The young coyote will yip and howl like it is injured to draw attention and get other animals to approach it.”
WildsafeBC management tips:
• Keep all garbage securely stored until the morning of collection.
• Keep your pets indoors, especially at night. Coyotes can prey upon cats and small dogs if the opportunity arises.
• Clean up any spilled seed under bird feeders to avoid attracting rodents which may attract coyotes.
• Feed pets indoors. If you must feed outdoors, bring in any uneaten food immediately so it won’t attract coyotes.
• Manage your compost properly to avoid attracting rodents which may attract coyotes. Turn compost regularly and alternate layers of ‘greens’ and ‘browns’.
• If you have chickens or small livestock, use a properly installed and maintained electric fence to keep livestock inaccessible to coyotes.