Ontario cities tell residents to report coyote dens near homes during mating season

Several cities in Ontario are urging residents to report coyote dens near residential areas and be wary of the animals as mating season for the canines is underway.

The City of Toronto says coyotes may currently be more active and visible as they search for a potential mate, and it is warning residents to keep their distance. It says it received 252 reports of coyote sightings this January.

“If you see a coyote, please keep a safe distance and make sure your dog is always on a leash,” the City wrote in a recent statement.

Colleen St. Clair, a biological sciences professor at the University of Alberta, said coyotes, especially males, are quite mobile at this time of year as they search for mates.

“They’re moving around a lot more, but it’s also a time of the year when coyotes start to act quite territorial towards each other,” she said.

St. Clair, who created the Edmonton Urban Coyote Project in 2009 to study how coyotes live in urban areas, said the mating season runs from about mid-January to mid-March.

“What they’ll be doing on the heels of the breeding season is looking for den sites to raise their pups, and they want really secure sites,” she said.

St. Clair said while urban expansion has encroached on some coyote habitats, the adaptable canines can also move into metropolitan areas to keep safe.

Coyotes are hunted outside of urban areas pretty much everywhere throughout North America very aggressively,” she said. The animals move into towns and cities where they feel “generally” safer, she said, which has increased the instances of people feeding them.

“That’s the fastest way to cause lethal management of coyotes, because they become very aggressive when they’re fed by people,” she said.

On Monday, videos and photos circulated online showing a full-grown coyote walking closer to the lake near Queens Quay West in Toronto. The city’s animal services later confirmed the presence of the coyote, and no injuries were reported.

RELATED: Fourth coyote killed following attacks on humans in Burlington

Burlington, west of Toronto, recorded seven unprovoked coyote attacks on humans last year and says residents should report sightings and dens near homes to the city.

Mississauga has a similar message for residents and, like other cities, is urging people not to feed the animals.

With files from Lucas Casaletto of CityNews