Since I started collecting sightings of Coyotes in Peterborough, I have received several concerns about coyotes in the city. People have been concerned about going out for walks and taking their pets outdoors. I can say with certainty that coyotes pose a significantly lower risk than pretty much any activity that most people participate in. While on a walk you are more likely to be fatally struck by a car or hit by lightning than to be non-fatally attacked by a coyote. To get the point across and hopefully quell some fears here is a handy little chart that I’ve done up.
As a side note, some of the precautions you can take include making sure food stored outside is secure and avoiding any coyote dens during the springtime when the pups are first born. And NEVER feed the coyotes.
Comments
Thanks very much for your comments regarding personal safety and coyotes, Dylan. I especially loved the graphically powerful poster you presented about risk. I wonder if you could comment on the risks of small pets like my Daisy, a 15 pound fast runner of a dog. I’ve been seeing so many rabbits in town since the spike in population a couple of summers back when we had significant rainfall straight through to mid-August. That weather phenomenon has left a bounty of snacks for the coyote population. My concern is that my little fast-running doggie gets mistaken for a cheeseburger. No doubt cat owners have similar fears. Do we know if coyotes consume our loved ones?