Coyote 'still at large' after biting 2 people in North York park, city says

The City of Toronto is warning residents to avoid a North York park after two people were attacked and bitten by a coyote on Sunday afternoon. 

In a news release, the city said the attacks took place at Bayview Village Park, which is located on Bayview Avenue just north of Sheppard Avenue East.

Toronto police told CBC they received multiple reports around 1 p.m. that a coyote had been spotted in the area.

In a tweet Sunday evening, police said an "aggressive" coyote had attacked an unknown number of people.

Paramedics attended the scene to support police, but didn't transport anyone to hospital with injuries.

"Toronto Animal Services and the Toronto Police Services Emergency Task Force have been in the area all day today working diligently to capture the coyote and will resume their efforts tomorrow," the city said. 

"The coyote is still at large and the City advises residents in the area to please stay away from the park and use caution in the neighbouring areas."

The city said it's abnormal for a coyote to bite a human and they generally don't pose a threat to the public. 

Still, it's not the first time a coyote has acted aggressively in the city this year.

In July, a 10-year-old girl in Scarborough was chased by a coyote while walking her dog. The dog was injured after it attempted to fight off the animal. That same month, a six-year-old girl was bitten by a coyote in Oshawa.

In B.C. earlier this year, the provincial ministry responsible for wildlife said it would place traps in Vancouver's biggest park to remove and euthanize up to 35 coyotes after a rash of attacks on humans.

There have been 45 instances of people being bitten or nipped in Stanley Park since last December.