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www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, December 4, 2009 · 4 Urban sprawl encroaching on coyote territory Continued from page 1 "I finally called my dog in and we watched it from the window and it did eventually wander off," said Kirton. Kirton noted sightings of coyotes have been on the increase in the Ravine Gate area in recent days, with another coyote appearing two nights ago. Again the coyote stood its ground when Kirton tried to shoo it away from her fence. "It was right at the fence just looking at us and again clapping and yelling just doesn't make them run at all," said Kirton. "They're quite used to people for some reason." Barb Hungate of Ravine Gate also reported seeing a coyote walking across her street and onto nearby Stationmaster Lane. "We've always had coyotes in the area. They usually stay in the woods, but this one is coming out and going onto residential streets," said Hungate. "It's a little bit disconcerting." The Oakville and District Humane Society's Manager of Animal Protective Services Rob Bauer noted the wiley carnivore will become increasingly visible over the next few weeks as it prepares for its semi-hibernation. "They're trying to get fattened up as their food sources diminish in the colder weather so they're doing a little bit more scavenging, looking for potential food sources," said Bauer. "That's why people are noticing them more going through backyards and through commercial areas and public areas." LISA KIRTON / SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER CLOSE ENCOUNTER: Abby, a Labrador-poodle, barks at a coyote on the other side of a backyard fence on Ravine Gate. Bauer said the coyote young born this year are now big enough to hunt with their parents. This means that instead of seeing one coyote in an area, people may start seeing groups of four, five or six. This trend will continue until the young realize they need more space, at which point they will leave the area to seek out their own territory. As far as coyotes no longer being easily shooed away is concerned, Bauer noted, this is the result of human encroachment on their territory. "That yelling, clapping and stomping, they've adjusted to that, especially the younger ones, they've grown up in the city. They know what that sound is so it doesn't intimidate them," he said. "What I've been recommending to people, and it seems to work really well, is opening and closing an umbrella. It's big, it makes a lot of noise, it's something a coyote has never seen so it looks like something big and scary and it tends to put them off so they don't want to approach." Bauer said coyotes do not seek confrontation with humans and will only attack if all escape routes are cut off. Bauer said the recent killing of a Toronto singer in Cape Breton by a pair of coyotes was completely out of character for the breed. "We will never know what truly happened there, but there was something that set off those animals that made them feel trapped," said Bauer. "I don't know whether it was a parent protecting their young or if she stumbled across a den site. I've only read what's been in the papers, so I don't even know if they were true coyotes. If it was a coy-dog type animal that could explain some of its behaviour." While true coyotes will almost never attack humans, small dogs and cats, which are left unattended, are a different story. Bauer said while cats and dogs are not the coyote's first choice they will quickly find themselves on the menu if no other food source is available. To prevent this, Bauer recommends that cats living in coyote-patrolled areas be kept indoors, while small dogs should be kept on a leash when walked and not left unsupervised in backyards for extended periods of time. Although both Kirton and Hungate acknowledge the coyote as a part of the urban wildlife, Bauer said many other people who call the humane society do not feel the same way. "The number one question to us is how are we going to remove this animal from this area to protect the population," said Bauer. "That is not something we can do or would even be successful in doing." Bauer said the territorial nature of coyotes means that when you take one out of an area another moves in to take its place. MINI Oakville's Holiday Sales Event. Special Pricing on all remaining demonstrators. Special programs on all 2010 MINIs. Free winter tire package with every 2010 Cooper! FROM OUR EXCLUSIVE PEARLSPULSE POINT IN MOTION COLLECTION: BLACK SOUTH SEA CULTUREDTPEARL W AKOYA CULTURED PEARL BRACELET IN 18K GOLD. NECKLACE LWITH DIAMONDS WITH WO-ROW Y CULTURED DIAMOND SPACERS IN SPACERS P LUXE LINKS December 11th and 12th ONLY. Happy Holidays! 2454 South Service Road, Oakville 905.469.6220 minioakville.com 18K GOLD. $8,900. 321 CORNWALL ROAD, OLDE OAKVILLE MARKET PLACE 905.815.8777 · WWW.KNARJEWELLERY.COM