Coyote sightings on the rise in Ottawa. Here's what to do if you see one

The number of coyote sightings in Ottawa nearly doubled from 2019 to 2020, according to the City of Ottawa's bylaw and regulatory services department.

There were 221 complaints reported in 2019, jumping to 438 in 2020 and 476 in 2021. There have already been 33 such reports in the first three weeks of 2022.

The National Capital Commission (NCC), meanwhile, reported 53 sightings in 2019 and 47 in 2020, dropping to 33 in 2021.

Those numbers come with some caveats: a number of the reports were made from different callers in regards to the same animal, some of the calls are from residents seeking general information about coyotes, and others concern a deceased coyote found on a roadway.

They're more afraid of us than we are of them.— Jason Pink, National Capital Commission

Roger Chapman, the city's director of bylaw and regulatory services, says the number is often highest between January and March when snow covers usual food sources for the animals, and they're forced to look elsewhere for sustenance.

What to do during an encounter

The city and NCC partner in much of their work around coyote tracking and collaborate on a blog about how to coexist.

Jason Pink, the NCC's senior conservation officer, said time-honoured wildlife recommendations apply to coyotes, as well.

"It's pretty much the same thing when you're encountering a coyote [as] when you're encountering a bear," he said. 

That means people should leave the animals alone whenever possible. If, however, someone is being trailed by a coyote, they should shout and make themselves look bigger. They can also throw things in the general direction of the animal.

"They're more afraid of us than we are of them."

Although we hear about some rare reports of an attack, coyotes are generally more dangerous to pets than they are to people. 

Earlier this year, an Ottawa police investigation found a series of suspicious cat deaths was perpetrated by coyotes. 

Pink said owners should always keep small dogs nearby and on a leash.

In the case of a coyote encounter, owners should pick up their dog and back away, facing the coyote. They should never turn their back and run, he said.

'Tools in your toolkit'

Lesley Sampson, founding executive director of Coyote Watch Canada, some experts recommend carrying a whistle to deter the animals, but Sampson says unfamiliar sounds are more effective.

Urban coyotes, she said, are accustomed to a wide range of sounds, including machinery, car horns and even whistles. Often the best way to deter them is with a stimulus they aren't accustomed to, such as shaking a can full of coins or popping open an umbrella.

There's also a technique she calls the "garbage bag method" that involves filling a bag with air before snapping it to make a frightening sound.

"It's like anything — it's better when you have some tools in your toolkit," she said. 

Sampson said the animals are easier to track in the snow. 

The telltale footprints help volunteers with the wildlife non-profit keep tabs on urban coyote families in need of "aversion conditioning," — the practice of using humane natural deterrents to remove an animal from an area.

Price of pelts

Pink said the number of coyotes in Ottawa doesn't appear to be increasing, but there may be more sightings because the animals are adapting to city life and becoming more active during the day. 

Stan Gehrt, principal investigator of the Urban Coyote Research Project based in Chicago, Ill., said eastern North American cities have seen an increase in urban coyote populations in recent years.

Gehrt said no one knows for sure why it's happening, but he cited a drop in the market value of pelts overseas deterred hunting and trapping of coyotes in rural North America. The resulting rural population boom may have pushed younger coyotes into urban centres.

Keeping a healthy distance with that urban population is key to coexistence, Sampson says, because the main cause of conflict is when people feed the animals.

"They get to know the various hotspots where folks are consistently leaving out food. You address that, and a lot of the encounters and conflicts disappear," she said.

"They are capable, intelligent, creative foragers and hunters. They do not need our handouts."