2 coyote attacks on kids a sign someone is ‘likely’ feeding wild animals, researcher suggests [Video]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/boy-attacked-by-coyote-in-north-kildonan-area-1.6895739

A coyote expert suggests one possible factor in coyote attacks on two kids about a week apart in Winnipeg’s northeast is that someone is either feeding the wild animals or getting closer than they should.

A four-year-old was attacked in North Kildonan on Friday, less than a week after a nine-year-old was attacked within the same neighbourhood. Both were treated and released from hospital.

The back-to-back events have residents worried and conservation scientist Shelley Alexander reaching for an explanation that may not immediately ease those fears.

“It’s really unfortunate because they’re generally preventable events,” said Alexander, founder of the Canid Conservation Science Lab at the University of Calgary.

“When they happen in tandem like this, my first reaction is … someone has likely been feeding these coyotes, based on the behaviour that’s being reported and the closeness of those events in time.”

After the first attack on June 24, in the areas of Popko Crescent and Knowles Avenue, Manitoba Conservation alerted the public and described the coyote attacks as exceedingly rare.

After the second attack on Saturday, June 30, in the Headmaster Row area, the province said it was boosting conservation officer patrols in the community.