Travel the Coyote Parkway

For the past 50+ years the city of Peterborough has been debating the creation of the parkway on top of some of the greenest spaces and most widely used trails in our city. You may be surprised to hear that this space has become another different transportation corridor in our city. Coyotes roughly appear to be traveling from through our city along this corridor. You may recall the map produced earlier this year detailing Peterborough’s natural heritage system in the form of a metro map, this is a prime example of how wildlife moves around our city.

Get your sighting featured on the map by using the tag #PtboCoyote on twitter or typing a comment below.

On November 13th @SarahDeeth from CHEX news posed the question on twitter if people had been noticing greater numbers of coyotes within the city limits. People were eager to share the approximate locations of their sightings across the city. I realized that this would be an interesting dataset, and quickly went to work assembling everybody’s sightings into a single map. The results were surprising! You can see the live map below!

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Incredibly the Coyotes seem to be using the parkway corridor to travel around the city. Sightings from the north end all the way to medical drive indicate active populations roaming the area. Neighborhoods in Monaghan Ward seem to have active populations surrounding the golf course. I can also personally corroborate an active population within and around Harper Park. It is equally interesting where there are an absence of coyote sightings. Almost no sightings have taken place in the areas on the East Bank sandwiched between the Canal and the Otonabee River. My guess is that it is a relatively highly populated area that lacks easy escape routes, so coyotes avoid the east bank.

Comments

Rob Wilkes says:

I don’t use Twitter but I have seen a beautiful large coyote in our backyard twice in the last week. Waterford St, near the London St. footbridge. A neighbour saw the same coyote in his backyard on Dickson so perhaps the den is somewhere near Quaker Oats?

dylan.radcliffe says:

Added your sighting to the map. Interesting that there was also a sighting on the opposite side of the river from your location.

Ruth Bishop says:

July 25th 2019
Just saw two coyotes running down the north side of Weller Street approaching Park Street at 3:00am in the morning. They were taking turns running into people’s back yards along the way especially the Morrow House Apartment building. They were making that strange wheezing-like sound they make as they hunt.

Rob Wilkes says:

Thanks for adding those locations. Here’s a link to my Facebook post and photos. (It was through this post I found out about your blog post): https://www.facebook.com/rob.wilkes.969/posts/10156666306950833

Martin Halme says:

Rob Wilkes. Coyotes only den when they are having pups and the pups are young. The rest of the year they do not use dens. Therest of the year they are nomadic

Rob Wilkes says:

Thanks Martin. This has been quite a learning experience.

Isa says:

Coyote spotted at 65 Milroy Drive area. Was walking along sidewalk and then crossed the street towards the back of the Walmart down towards the parkway trail.

A. Taylor says:

There was a pack living in the farmers fields adjacent to Jackson Park- they disappeared when they started excavating for the housing development… maybe they have spread out.
We have definitely seen more foxes recently.

dylan.radcliffe says:

I’ll add your sighting to the map regardless!

Avery Sudol says:

One was just casually strolling along Evans Drive in the cul de sac at the end today and down the path towards Hilliard… through the day even. Didn’t bother anyone, he had places to go I guess. 🙂

dylan.radcliffe says:

Added it to the map just now! I wonder if they frequent the Bears Creek woods?

Tara Haryett says:

my daughter sees them in Bears Creek Woods, My mother has seen 1 a couple times On Dutton Rd.in the seniors complex..Kinsmen Court.

Dave Turpin says:

I have seen coyotes 3 times on Bridle Drive where we live. It is definitely increasing in frequency too. At night you can often hear them to the south of us.

dylan.radcliffe says:

Thanks! Added them to the map!

Lisa Robbins says:

Hear them almost every night in the Taylor conservation area, Stewart line, Cavan

Last week I saw one trotting alongside Clonsilla by the Medical Centre, which seems to support what you are saying about the Parkway corridor.

Chris says:

Watched 2 go down the road directly infront of my house on the corner of Danita Blvd and Wallis. They continued into a backyard on Wallis.

dylan.radcliffe says:

Added it to the map! Thanks for your sighting!

Louise Martin says:

Last month one walked down Nurse Ave., Ennismore during the day. A pack attacked a deer in farmer’s field just west of Bridgenorth around same time.

Karla says:

At 5:30am on an October morning we saw a dog-like animal at the corner of Montague Court and Sherbrooke Street.

The coyote howling in the green space behind us is quite loud some nights according to my daughter whose bedroom is n the backside of the house.

dylan.radcliffe says:

Seems consistent with other sightings in the area! I added it to the map. Thanks!

angela Fullerton says:

Spotted on trail Ashburnham and LAnsdown across from wendys. one in my back yard Sydenham townhouses. never let my dogs out in yard alone.

dylan.radcliffe says:

Thanks! Added your sighting to the map. Those are the first sightings I’ve had reported in that part of the city!

Tanya says:

I don’t have twitter…two sightings recently – one at approximately 630 AM on the parkway trail, behind Highland Heights Public School. It ran through the bushes along the parkway trail towards Chemong Rd. The second, this last Wednesday, was at approximately 830 PM. It crossed Hilliard St, coming from the Church on the west side by Langton St. After crossing Hilliard it pranced through Adam Scott school yard.

dylan.radcliffe says:

Thanks! I added your sightings to the map!

Lou says:

Cayotes seen twice , very early morning, at the park on Sherbrooke St that backs onto Adeline.

Cynthia Bennett Awe says:

We’ve enjoyed watching from afar, the coyote sightings just outside formal city limits. (In the fields just west of Brealy between Parkhill and Sherbrooke). They have been seen there for a decade or so.

dylan.radcliffe says:

Thanks! I’ve added it to the map! Seems to be lots of coyote sightings in the area!

Barb Evett says:

2 days ago, 4AM, corner of Highland and Fairbairn, I was awakened by what sounded like a coyote barking then going into a full howl. The animal was on the Rotary Trail on the north east corner of that intersection. Didn’t get a visual, though.

dylan.radcliffe says:

Thanks I just added it to the map!

Quentin Day says:

I’ve seen a coyote along the path through Cedar Grove Park while walking my dog at night. I often hear them howling in the golf course directly across Sherbrooke Street.
Quentin Day

dylan.radcliffe says:

Thanks, I added both of your sightings to the map!

Kb says:

Friends have been hearing them on the Parkway Trail behind Summerhill Drive. They even recorded them!

dylan.radcliffe says:

Added a point to the map! It seems like a very active portion of the trail!

Melanie Wood says:

I live in a subdivision at the bottom of Towerhill (the hill is at Towerhill and fairbairn). Last week I heard a lot of coyote howling coming from the very top of Towerhill. And just about every night for the past 3 weeks, nights are filled with yapping, howling, barking, yipping sounds from a large pack of coyotes, that include pups, all coming from the forest at the base of Towerhill (south side) through the forest toward to rotary bike trail, by the newer Raymond St. Subdivision.

dylan.radcliffe says:

Added a point to the map! Thanks!

DF says:

A few days ago, a friend had one cross her backyard on Wallis Drive at Juniper Ave, West End.

Amanda says:

We have heard them howling right behind our house in Wallis Heights Park and lastnight at about 8:45pm I saw one running along Danita and up in between 2 of our neighbour’s houses (3 houses up from Wallis)

dylan.radcliffe says:

Thanks! Added it to the map. Seems to be a lot of sightings in the area!

dylan.radcliffe says:

Thanks added it to the map just now!

Greg Pulham says:

Nov 29, 10:05 AM Coyote ran south on Ashdale Cres W, Peterborough

dylan.radcliffe says:

Thanks! Just put it up on the map now.

Doug says:

Saw one at 10:30pm Monday night this week. Crossing medical drive from St. Peter’s school track into the green space beside Westbrook dr.

dylan.radcliffe says:

Thanks! Added it to the map!

Darlene says:

Saw coyote across from St Pats school on Otonabee Dr. about 3 weeks ago. Was walking along fence line that borders cemetary

dylan.radcliffe says:

Thanks! Just added it to the map now!

Elle says:

Saw two on Parkway Trail near Chemong about 2 weeks ago. It was dark out and snowing. They quickly ran into the bushes as I approached.

dylan.radcliffe says:

Thanks, just added your sighting! There seems to be a lot of sightings in that area!

Iain Mudd says:

Hi there. I back onto Meade Creek wetland near Marsdale and Foxmeadow on the East side of town. Quite a few coyotes running over here and yipping/howling at night. I also used to live on Farmcrest ave and they were behind my place too. They seem to run this wetland corridor in and out of the City.

dylan.radcliffe says:

Thanks! Added it to the map!

Doug says:

Watched a pack of 4 gathered at Towerhill and Milroy on Nov.8. They crossed the road and went up the walkway to Baker St. It was @3am. The barks, growls and howls woke me up.

Sabine McConnell says:

I saw one a couple of weeks ago, on the Parkway trail between Chemong and Hilliard. It was right where the little pathway goes to Barnardo.

dylan.radcliffe says:

Thanks! Seems to be a lot of sightings around Barnardo Park.

Dave says:

I saw two coyotes crossing Parkhill Rd. just east of Medical Drive earlier this week during the evening. They were heading north into Jackson Park.

dylan.radcliffe says:

Thanks! Seems to be a lot of sightings in that area.

Tracy says:

I saw one on orpington the other nightt ran across the rd

dylan.radcliffe says:

Thanks! I haven’t had too many sightings in that part of the city.

Julie Dowling says:

I have seen one coyote frequent the bottom of Lee Street near Philip. It then takes off over the same front yard and heads toward Adam Scott. I hear a pack of them every night howling and carrying on towards the Barnardo park area. Neighbours have said they have spotted three coyotes behind Lee Court which backs onto the park. Also have had some foxes on Lee Street and Shelbourne going through neighbourhood backyards. I remind my neighbours to keep their pets inside at night!

dylan.radcliffe says:

Thanks! I’ve had some reports from people living at the top of the hill as well! Seems like lots of activity in Bernardo Park.

Tod says:

Euclid avenue near 212 Euclid Avenue daughter spotted one in evening approx 4 weeks ago.

dylan.radcliffe says:

Thanks for the sighting. Seems like there might be some coyotes moving along the creek.

Brenda Collins says:

My daughter had a coyote? come out of the bush within 10-15 ft. of her right on Webber Ave.When it saw her it took off running behind the houses along the back yards.

Martha Clark says:

I saw a coyote walk down the road outside out house in Canal Rd around 2 and a half weeks ago. Since then they seem to be all around! My partner saw a pack of them, around 4, when he went for a run up television hill, being from the UK it was quite the scare! Last night he saw one as he was on the dock on the canal, it started to approach him and he made lots of noise and it retreated but didnt seem too scared! Lots of howling last night as well, seemed to come from both sides of the canal.

dylan.radcliffe says:

Thanks! I added this sighting to the map. Seems like there haven’t been too many sightings in the area, glad someone noticed them there!

Dorothy McCord says:

Saw a coyote running north on the west sidewalk of Westbrook Drive this afternoon around 1:45.

dylan.radcliffe says:

Thanks for your sighting. It has been added to the map.

Tony minicola says:

Lone coyote travelling west on O’Carroll avenue 430 am December 4th

dylan.radcliffe says:

Thanks added it to the map! Quite a distance from other sightings!

Tony minicola says:

We have noticed coyote’s on a few other occasions in the last few weeks but we were not aware of your blog.
I saw one crossing Chemong road on the pathway below Walmart around the 20th of November at 7 am.

dylan.radcliffe says:

There are an absolute ton of coyote sightings in that area! Always great to see more! I added it to the map. I may need to come up with a new marker such as “10 coyote sightings” or something like that.

catherine glover says:

We live on maniece ave and often hear coyotes at nite in fields north of us. I walk dogs in these fields and have met a single coyote thispast fall twice. Also saw one on liftlock golf course running east.

dylan.radcliffe says:

Thanks! I just added your sightings to the map! Haven’t had too many sightings on that side of the city yet.

Colleen Shaughnessy says:

I also live on Maniece Ave. near Catherine & since the summer we often hear the coyotes at night north of us at Liftlock Golf course. They’re calling is so loud that they wake you up at night.

Lori McRae says:

I see you have a few reported sightings on the Kawartha Golf and Country Club but thought I’d add my two cents. We’ve encountered coyotes on the North end of the golfcourse at least 5x and in the backyards along Ridgewood Rd on numerous occasions as well, all within the last 8 months.

Larry MacEachern says:

Heard coyotes howling in east city near armour hill on Dec.15.
Saw evidence of a recent rabbit kill by coyote at Kawartha Golf Clud on Dec7.

Sam says:

Christmas morning single coyote on Fenwood Circle heading to Pinehill. Several coyotes were heard last night about 11pm. Possibly 2-3 behind the houses on this Circle but not seen.

Jess says:

I saw one at about 5:30pm on Monday January 14 on the corner of Wallis and Danita and we saw another one at around 9:30pm running from behind/between our house and our neighbours’ house straight down our driveway onto Danita Blvd. Getting alarmingly common.

Scott Donovan says:

2019-02-22. 9:45pm. I’m regularly walking my small dog at night, at times off-leash, feeling dread about the sightings in my neighbourhood, knowing it may lead to a reduction of freedom for my active dog. I had a hunch I would see something eventually, and regretfully it was in the schoolyard that we spend a lot of time.
It was running at a pace that suggested it wasn’t afraid, but wanted to get out of sight. In the dark, and at a distance, it looked like a German Shepherd, with one distinction; the tail lay flat, not curled or perched. Domestic canines generally don’t carry their tail flat. I saw it first on the hill behind Prince of Wales School (Monaghan & Sherbrooke), heading toward the woods, in the direction of the water tower at High Street. Daisy and I were both lit, her with an LED collar, me with a flashlight, so we must have made an odd sight. We pursued it to watch it vanish into the woods. I was excited. But now I’m just resigned to a new way of being in the hood.

dylan.radcliffe says:

Hello Scott Donovan,

I understand your concern and it is a common one. I just thought I’d let you know that in Canada 2.4 people are scratched or bitten each year by Coyotes (non-fatal). You and your pets are 1064 times more likely to die in a traffic accident than be bitten non-fatally by a coyote. You are also significantly more likely to be struck by lightning on your walks than to to be bitten by a coyote.

HollyBennett says:

My neighbour just saw one heading north on Armstrong Ave. between Walkerfield and Weller, in broad daylight, about a block and a half ahead of me and my new (little) dog. I’m really wishing I’d gone for something bigger, and less rabbit-like.

Steven Rafferty says:

Good evening,

My son was out for a walk Saturday night (April 13, 2019) and it sounds like he saw two coyotes or coywolves in Manor Heights Park. He thought it odd that two dogs would be off leash so late at night, and the way he described their behaviour and appearance made me think that they weren’t dogs.

Holly Bennett says:

One just ran through the backyards on the north side of Walkerfield Ave. between Armstrong and Gordon. 8:30 a.m.

dylan.radcliffe says:

Just added it to the map.

ian says:

on the parkway trail behind the Walmart on Chemong I heard a pack of coywolves (think its coywolves because they’d both howl and yip) about once every 2 weeks between 10pm-4am from sept to early nov

dylan.radcliffe says:

Sorry for the delay in letting you know, your sighting has been added to the map.

Kevin says:

Seen coyotes going under the hwy bridge, on Johnston Drive the end of Monaghan. Several times in the last 12 months. Also seen coyotes twice between back entrance of Costco and the lights on Crawford.

dylan.radcliffe says:

Thanks! I’ve added your sighting to the map!

Dawn says:

Seen 3 different times in the last month Aylmer & O’Carrol area (North end of Peterboroug

dylan.radcliffe says:

Thanks I added your sighting to the map.

Hi Dylan, I just saw one trotting down Anne St, at Hazeldean, off of Monaghan! It was large, and looked pretty happy!

dylan.radcliffe says:

Thanks! I just added your sighting to the map.

Rusty Dawg says:

Feb 21st University road crossing from the east side to the west side in low wet area.

dylan.radcliffe says:

Thanks! Just added your sighting.

Chris Dunn says:

July 23 and 24 saw a young one hanging out on Hunter and Reid, just lounging on the church steps.

Julia Rankin says:

Just came across this site. There were definitely coyotes, back even 10, 15, 20+ years ago, in Farmcrest Park, in the city’s east/south end. We would hear them on spring and summer nights, from our house, midway on Ridgetop Cres., as our windows were open. That section is south of us. They were making yipping and whiny sounds, which would wake us up. It sounded like there were young pups too, at times. They were probably on both sides of Meade Creek. One night, it sounded like a bunch of them were on our street, going after some animal, as there were frenzied noises, and barking sounds. It was scary sounding! We haven’t heard them in quite some time, and that could be since the Off-Leash Dog Park opened up. They may have been scared-out of the area ? Keep your small pets in. A friend of ours,who lives nearby and backs onto the east end of Farmcrest Park/Conservation Area, texted us earlier, to say her cat has disappeared for the first time. It goes out at night, and comes in, early in the morning. The cat never made it back in, for the first time ever. Hopefully it shows up, but I’m worried, re. the animals in that area.

Catherine says:

Well Dylan ..since my last comment I have run into many single coyotes and they just seem to watch the dogs and I.A few weeks ago I had one chase us and today I had one lunge at us a no. Of times in our back fieldl. We live east of lifelock golfcourse and I’m aware of a den near television road.

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