Coyotes Kill Young Singer Hiking in Nova Scotia
Posted by: Loren Coleman on November 1st, 2009
On October 27, 2009, two coyotes attacked and killed a promising young musician as she was hiking alone in a national park in eastern Canada.
Taylor Mitchell, Promotional Photo.
The victim was identified as Taylor Mitchell, 19, a singer-songwriter from Toronto who was touring to promote her new album on the East Coast.
She was hiking solo on a trail in Cape Breton Highlands National Park in Nova Scotia on Tuesday when the attack occurred. She was airlifted to a Halifax hospital in critical condition and died Wednesday morning, authorities said.
Coyotes, which also are known as prairie wolves, are found from Central America to the United States and Canada.
Wildlife biologist Bob Bancroft said coyote attacks are extremely rare because the animals are usually shy.
Bancroft, a retired biologist with Nova Scotia’s Department of Natural Resources, said it’s possible the coyotes thought Mitchell was a deer or other prey.
“It’s very unusual and is not likely to be repeated,” Bancroft said. “We shouldn’t assume that coyotes are suddenly going to become the big bad wolf.”
(I had been in touch with Bob Bancroft in the past, regarding the “mysterious kangaroo sightings” of October 1986, in Nova Scotia, and other cryptid reports for the area. Biologist Bancroft had openmindedly investigated and found kangaroo tracks after returning to the location of the sightings. Bancroft also has spent three decades researching cougars on the Canadian island, and thinks they are there.)
Royal Canadian Mounted Police spokeswoman Brigdit Leger said other hikers heard Mitchell’s screams for help on Tuesday and called emergency police dispatchers.
Police who were in the area reached the scene quickly and shot one of the animals, apparently wounding it. But the wounded animal and a companion coyote managed to get away.
Paul Maynard of Emergency Health Services said Mitchell already was in critical condition when paramedics arrived on the scene and had multiple bite wounds over her entire body.
“She was losing a considerable amount of blood from the wounds,” he said.
An official with Parks Canada said they blocked the entrance to the trail where Mitchell was attacked and were trying to find the animals to determine what prompted such an unusual attack.
“There’s been some reports of aggressive animals, so it’s not unknown,” said Helene Robichaud, the park’s superintendent. “But we certainly never have had anything so dramatic and tragic.”
Mitchell was an up-and-coming folk and country musician who was nominated for a 2009 Canadian Folk Music Award in the Young Performer of the Year category.
“Words can’t begin to express the sadness and tragedy of losing such a sweet, compassionate, vibrant, and phenomenally talented young woman,” Lisa Weitz, Mitchell’s manager, said in an e-mail. “She just turned 19 two months ago, and was so excited about the future.”
About Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct).
Loren Coleman’s daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015.
Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.
Actually coyote attacks are starting to become pretty common.
1) There was a man attacked in Griffith Park: source.
2) Another man in Fort Smith: source.
3) A woman in Denver: source.
And that’s just this year.
I wish that I could suggest an answer to this problem, but coyotes are just as durable as cockroaches and rats.
It’s probably worth noting that these coyotes are called “eastern coyotes” and are described as wolf/coyote hybrids the size of German Shepherds, and are mentioned to take down moose calves in the springtime.
Not exactly the blue-heeler-at-largest coyotes common in the US’s north-west, where the biggest (not already dying) thing I’ve ever heard of them taking down was lambs. (Although coyote-dog hybrids act like the predators in the above story– more like wolves than coyotes.)
This is awful.
And it does nothing to help matters that “Bancroft, a retired biologist with Nova Scotia’s Department of Natural Resources, said it’s possible the coyotes thought Mitchell was a deer or other prey.”
No wonder the man’s retired, if he thinks things like this. One thing pretty critical to being an effective predator is knowing what you’re attacking. These coyotes saw a human, and an opportunity.
I don’t know what that says, particularly about what we can expect from coyotes in future. But I’ve been wondering for some time when an attack like this might happen. Rabies usually shows up among declared culprits in incidents of this nature. But this doesn’t sound like an attack by rabid animals, or by animals confused about what they were attacking.
Coydogs? Coyotes, especially only two of them, don’t -seem- likely to me to do such a thing.
What is so mystifying about this incident and other recent incidents reported by Coelacanth1938 is the discrepancy between the indcidents and the traditional image (some would say “stereotype”) of a coyote. From what I’ve read and heard about regarding the Coyote (and also seen), they are
shy and human-avoiding. They are not even predators (as in the sense of let’s say, a Mountain Lion)—they are Scavengers.
That is as far as I KNOW, of course.
Is the plot to “The Day Of The Animals” coming true in real life? I wonder sometimes… Sheeesh. 🙁
That said, My condolences to the family and fans of this talented young (and up and coming) folk singer. RIP.
And hopefully the coyotes who did this will be caught and dealt with appropriately.
Again, MY opinion.
Cryptidsrus- Coyotes are actually quite capable predators, and will hunt pretty much anything they think they can take down. They will hunt rodents, lizards, birds, insects, as well as larger prey such as deer and livestock. Coyotes have even been known to take down prey as large as elk. They are actually incredibly versatile predators, with an adaptable diet, and this adaptability is the main reason coyotes flourish so readily in a variety of habitats.
Although it is true that coyotes are opportunistic, and will feed off of garbage and carrion, or even plants such as fruits and vegetables when it is needed, they actually prefer fresh meat and are perfectly able hunters. The idea that coyotes are strictly scavengers in a myth. This misconception can actually be a dangerous notion since coyotes will attack pets, livestock, and even people, something that precautions can be taken against if the stereotype of coyotes as harmless scavengers can be put to rest.
Coyotes in many areas can actually get quite aggressive, which does not sit well with the image of them as shy, fleeting creatures. This is especially true in areas where they have become habituated to human contact and consequently lost their natural fear of us. Under such circumstances, they can be amazingly bold.
Case in point, I have a friend who lives right on the edge of some foothills in California. One day, he was out having a BBQ with some friends and his small dog, making quite a bit of noise and having a ball. A pair of coyotes came right in and snatched the dog away right in front of my horrified friend’s eyes, right there in front of a group of people. These coyotes ignored the humans, just went right up, grabbed the dog, and scurried off with it before any of the shocked witnesses could snap out of it and do anything. Examples like this abound.
When coyotes have become accustomed to people, they can be surprisingly bold, and shed a lot of their natural shyness. Some people even feed them. These people might have their hearts in the right place, but it only makes things worse. These coyotes just become further desensitized to human presence. The animals, which normally would avoid humans, start to get closer, they start approaching people, sometimes even chasing people.
I don’t mean to say that we are facing a danger of escalating coyote attacks, or to paint them as bloodthirsty monsters. Attacks like the one reported on here are indeed rare. However, it is important to remember that these animals are proficient hunters. They are opportunistic, and in some areas they have lost their fear of us to an appreciable degree. Put all of this together, and it should not be too incredibly surprising that a pack of coyotes (very often made up of two animals as the case was here), might see a person walking alone in the woods as a viable target.
As DWA pointed out, there need not even be any mistaken identity. Forget that this seems unlikely to me in the first place. The main factor at work here is not necessarily rabies either. It simply boils down to this. Coyotes are adaptable, opportunistic hunters. If they think they can take something down, they might very well try it. Coyote attacks on humans are indeed rare, but if these animals come across a human and see them as a weak or something they can potentially take down, then of course it is possible for them to have a go at it.
Coyotes are not really the skulking, cowardly scavengers that many take them for. They are potentially dangerous animals and should be treated with the respect due to any such animal.
Anyway, my condolences to the Mitchell family in this tough time. This is just horrible, horrible news. My heart goes out to them.
Out there, WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, you can never take animal attacks serious enough from a lone racoon to a squirrel , feral dog or worse. They are wild animals and act as such. a bite from a squirrel in a state park here in Miami resulted in a rabies scare a few years ago. I feel for this poor girl who had so much top live for and greive for the loss to the artistic community. Be cautious fellow cryptid hunters and never take these things for granted.
The remark about possible mistaken identity is absurd.
There’s a reason coyote is the trickster god in so many native legends, he’s very intelligent. What kind of biologist thinks a coyote has a brain like a cougar or shark?
PeterOtoole:
“What kind of biologist thinks a coyote has a brain like a cougar or shark?”
Exactly my point; and unfortunately I’m afraid that too many do.
I’m amazed – and I’m not alone; the primatologist Frans van der Waal is another – how many scientists still think that “instinct” is this black box into which they can place any behavior that makes them uncomfortable. Actually, I wouldn’t lump cougars with sharks; and I’m not even sure I’d lump sharks with sharks. I can understand mistaken identity in some cases – a shark, say, crunching through a surfer that might look in turbid water something like a seal. In many such cases, the shark’s immediate reaction – departing the scene after one big bite – makes mistaken ID a possibility. In cases with bull sharks along the US Atlantic coast, the turbidity of the water is almost certainly a culprit in attacks on humans; sharks aren’t frequently negatively rewarded for striking first and questioning later, and many attacks feature one bite only.
Scientists need to open up that “instinct” black box, I think, and start taking more seriously van der Waal’s contention that Homo sapiens isn’t the only animal that has culture, i.e., learned behavior passed down from one generation to the next.
Coyotes test, and learn, and file away for future reference. Just like chimps; orangutans; wolves; and us.
Among others.
Coyotes have been on my radar since the infamous Keen coyote attack: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelly_Keen_coyote_attack
It is my humble opinion that we North Americans are suffering from a chronic case of Sunnydale Syndrome whenever the topic of coyotes is brought up.
I think that there have been more attacks on humans than have been reported. Some of those attacks have been blamed on feral dogs and other reports just get lost (A few months ago, some woman back east was walking her two chows, a pack of coyotes attacked all three of them and made off with one of the chows, and I can’t find the story anywhere now).
Coyotes are among the most adaptive creatures on Earth and now they’re adapting to urban environments. It’s only a matter of time before a pack of coyotes figure out what a doggy door can be good for.
Sunnydale Syndrome: http://www.gorelets.com/uncanny/theory/weirdness-isolation-and-sunnydale-syndrome/
As Mysteryman explained so well, wild animals can be dangerous, and refusing to believe that can be dangerous:
“Put all of this together, and it should not be too incredibly surprising that a pack of coyotes (very often made up of two animals as the case was here), might see a person walking alone in the woods as a viable target.”
As seen in the dog attack in Georgia, even stereotypically harmless animals can become man-eaters. Off my soapbox now.
Thanks for the lesson, Mystery_Man. One can always count on your expertise to clear up misconceptions.
Like I said, I was going by what I’ve read and studied regarding these creatures. I even saw some once from a distance.
I think the key words here are FROM A DISTANCE. Things are always “shy” from a distance. 🙂
And I totally forgot about the Trickster God angle, Peter OToole and DWA. Thanks for reminding me.
It makes this incident even more frightening to know that these Coyotes may have deliberately targeted this poor woman. Could it have been familiarity and comfortableness with human evirons and behavior that make them so bold and fearless???
And I agree with others that “mistaken identitity” is highly unlikely in this case. If this animal is as intelligent as it appears to be, this was no accident.
Like I said, “Day Of The Animals,” people. May The Almighty have mercy on the Human Race. 🙂
Mystery_Man:—
I cannot believe that people think it is OK to feed these creatures.
Not only is it “misguided,” it is preternaturally STUPID. Sheesh Almighty.
These are the same folks who like to take pictures of their kids next to or on top of Bears in Yellowstone. Sheesh.
Oh yeah—
Sorry about your friend’s Dog. That must have been traumatizing and horrendous. 🙂
This is certainly unfortunate.
I would suspect that she attempted to run away from the coyotes (if in fact they were coyotes), causing them to attack.
You should never turn you back on any animal, back away.
Is has been theorised that the eastern coyote is a cross between a wolf and a coyote making them twice as large as it’s western cousins.
It always amazes me, the publics perception of these animals.
Theorized, heck, the Canadian gov’t flatly defines these coyotes as wolf crosses the size of German shepherds.
The coyotes I know from Nevada and Washington, on the other hand, are large if they’re the size of a small Australian shepherd.
About twelve years ago, the husband of a coworker of mine was stalked by coyotes when he was fixing a fence on his farm near Harrodsburg, KY. They made him nervous, so he left and returned with his son and a couple of shotguns. They had been working on the fence for a few more minutes when the coyotes returned then moved in to attack. They managed to shoot a couple of them before retreating to their pickup. The remaining coyotes ran about the truck, jumping on the bed and hood til the man and his son drove off.
He was quite upset and said that he never thought coyotes would do that, but the worse thing was that they showed no fear of the guns.
He wouldn’t work anywhere on his farm afterwards unless armed and near his truck or other refuge.
Crryptidsrus- No problem. I like to share information and clear up these sorts of misconceptions when I can. 🙂 It’s easy for people to think of coyotes as strictly scavengers, but it is the wrong idea to have.
Concerning people and coyotes, that’s a very good analogy you made. The types of people who feed coyotes are a lot like the type that go out and feed the bears by hand and have their pictures taken with them. And then when the animals attack, or act aggressively, there is no responsibility accepted on the part of the people who were doing this foolish stuff. Suddenly it is the animals who are being persecuted, and labelled as man-eating abominations when in fact they were just doing what they do. People have to smarten up when dealing with wildlife. It amazes me how many there are that do this kind of stuff, and the lack of common sense on display in these situations.
As for my friend’s dog, yeah horrendous. They never did get the dog back, and never even found its body. I wasn’t there at the time, so I didn’t see it first hand, but from what I hear it was pretty terrifying in its breath taking suddenness and the boldness displayed by the coyotes. The dog didn’t even really have time to react or do anything before it was carried off. It was a fat little pug, poor thing never had a chance. This was pretty much right out in my friend’s backyard. He has a fence between his yard and the foothills, but he used to have BBQs beyond the fence with a view of the hills. Needless to say, he is reluctant to do that anymore.
I think in the case of this particular attack, it’s hard to say how familiar the coyotes were with humans, as I don’t know this area well. Could have been the case if there are settlements nearby that the animals were venturing near. I don’t think the animals were out deliberately hunting down humans, but coyotes don’t typically let a good opportunity go to waste. In my opinion, here they just came across something that they figured they could take down, and went for it.
DWA- Well put. The concept of instinct is increasingly turning out to be not quite the pretty little box it was once thought to be. While I also don’t agree that we should liken cougars to sharks, or even sharks to sharks as you say, I think I see what PeterOToole means. In light of research that shows animals to be a lot more cognitive and the notion of instincts a lot more dynamic than once thought, it is really hard to make assumptions concerning these things. Predators are cunning, and I think that in many animal attacks, the animals in question were a lot more aware of what they were doing then they are often given credit for. Many predators will attack a weak animal that they think might be edible. Humans thrashing in the water or traipsing through the woods can be seen as that. It doesn’t seem that a predator would necessarily need to mistake us for something else.
That being said, I don’t think that the retired biologist necessarily meant that hypothesis to be his final say on the matter. He might have just been throwing ideas out there, trying to see what sticks and come to an understanding over how such a terrible thing happened. Like I said before, I too don’t find mistaken identity likely in this case, considering the opportunistic way in which coyotes hunt. It’ not too plausible to me, but it’s sometimes worth throwing ideas out there and discussing the options.
Coelacanth1938- Yes, without a doubt coyotes are extremely versatile, adaptable animals. They have actually been thriving in suburban and urban areas for quite a long time now. I’m surprised that there haven’t been more incidents, to tell you the truth, and like you said there is always the chance that many attacks weren’t reported or blamed on feral dogs in light of the skewed image many have of coyotes.
Dib- Wow, that’s like something out of a horror movie. Animals have a way of doing things that you would never expect of them.
Coyotes have become common in the area where I live over about the last twenty-five years or so. Before that they were unheard of here, although they had already moved into western Kentucky (they were still considered rare even in the westernmost parts of the state until about thirty years ago). I believe that after the extirpation of the wolves in the East, the Missouri/Mississippi river system was still a major deterrent to coyotes dispersing eastward.
Coyotes probably would have found their way eastward eventually in any case. The deer & turkey populations in the eastern USA have skyrocketed over the past three or four decades, along with rabbits, raccoons, possums, wild geese, and other prey animals. Not to mention all the feral animals such as dogs, cats, ducks and goats. When I was a child, deer and turkeys were very rare here. Now there are thousands, and they are active even during the day. Some predator was bound to move in on that smorgasbord, sooner or later. Several incidents occurred which hastened coyotes’ expansion.
Some people in the southeastern states began importing coyotes from western states to stock “coursing pens”, which are large fenced areas where coyotes are “coursed” (chased) by packs of hounds. Coyotes are larger and have more stamina and speed than foxes, and are not likely to form packs for protection like wolves do, and were considered ideal for this “sport”. Never mind that some of them also were affected with canine rabies, or that they potentially could be harboring a deadly type of tapeworm. Not to mention the fact that importing them across state lines was and is illegal. They were “good sport for the dogs” and disposable, and there were plenty more where those came from.
When federal and state wildlife officials began crackdowns to stop this practice, as part of a massive rabies-prevention campaign, they confiscated any coyotes they found, but sometimes the perpetrators had been forewarned, and they simply released all their coyotes so that they would not be caught redhanded. Hundreds of coyotes were released in this manner (along with – you guessed it – a strain of canine rabies from Mexico and a tapeworm that is usually fatal to humans if they contract it). After many years of hard work, the canine strain of rabies has “officially” been eradicated from the USA. The coyotes, however, are proving more tenacious. Most of the coyotes across the South are very similar in size, color, and habits to western coyotes, and, being both intelligent and adaptable, and not having to contend with wolves, the coyote population in the southeast is growing rapidly.
During about the middle of the 20th century, wild canids began turning up in New Hampshire, and later in other parts of New England, that were not quite like any known canids. They resembled coyotes but were larger, darker colored, and had broader muzzles. One researcher had some captive coyotes that escaped and apparently interbred with the very rare wolves in the area, and that can explain some of the New Hampshire canids (now generally referred to as Eastern Coyotes). But it doesn’t explain them all. Even coyotes are not thatprolific. What, then?
In my opinion the answer is that a few wolves interbred with coyotes, not only the few that have escaped or been released, but also those coyotes that are naturally dispersing eastward, across the northern plains. I also think that there have been more than a few feral dogs in that mix. The result is a canid that is larger and stronger (and often darker colored) than what we think of as a coyote, intelligent, aggressive and not as inhibited towards people as western coyotes are. They don’t tend to packs like wolves do; they are much more likely to hunt in pairs, although they sometimes hunt in larger groups. They are opportunistic but, at least in my area, they are more predator than scavenger.
I have been informally documenting coyotes in my area for nearly twenty years. Mainly from roadkills, anecdotal accounts from neighbors and clients, and news items, but personal experience as well: coyotes came to view my isolated home as a ready food source. I lost about two dozen cats and rabbits to coyote predation before I adopted a foxhound-mix and a German shepherd dog. Coyotes don’t like to be noticed and they can’t afford to waste time outwitting two big dogs, so they stay away now. All of the coyotes I have seen in this region are bigger than western coyotes. I have seen some as tall as a German shepherd, but they are always much more lightly built. Oddly, several coyotes I have seen here, including one roadkilled female that I photographed, have been very dark colored. “Sabled”, we German shepherd people would say. Like a normal-colored coyote rolled in soot. So I think that probably the coyotes here in the south-central Appalachians have dispersed southward from the Adirondacks, which are after all, a northern part of the Appalachian range.
When my brothers and I roamed these old hills forty years ago, feral dogs were common, but coyotes were absent. You still had to be cautious, because feral dogs can kill you (although they usually run away, they can be very dangerous). If there is more than one, and they get you off your feet, they can pull you to pieces.
In the years since then, coyotes have become very numerous. I used to tally maybe one every two years, roadkilled within a few miles of home. Now I see at least a half-dozen a year roadkilled, and about the same alive. I don’t see why coyotes would be any different than feral dogs, once they get the notion to attack. We already know they are dangerous to children. They’re smart. Maybe they are figuring out that children are our fawns.
Kittenz—
Thanks for the info.
To be honest, what you are saying it is Scarier than Heck. But informative anyway.
“Maybe they are figuring out that children are our fawns.”
(Shudder.) 🙁
Evolution is still going on. Coyotes are not a snapshot in a photograph album. They are a work in progress. Apparently we’ve been caught up too much in our own interests to really notice what’s going on. But now we know what’s going on and the question is what are we going to be doing about?
Cryptozoology is the study of strange animals. Perhaps it should also cover animals that are becoming stranger?
“Cryptozoology is the study of strange animals. Perhaps it should also cover animals that are becoming stranger?”
Great point.
Indeed, Coelacanth1938. Indeed. 🙂
I think people have a predisposition to see any canine as a possible “buddy. People get attacked by dogs all the time because they don’t stop to think that all dogs are derived from wolves, and put under pressure they will return to their wolf instincts and protect themselves.
When I lived in Arizona I saw people stop their cars to try to get coyotes to come let them pet them. I don’t know if they were just ignorant and thought they were dogs, or thought they were friendly because they were so healthy, but I do know if it had been a mountian lion they wouldn’t have been trying to make “friends”.
People need to realize that all animals from ants to birds and even rabbits have the ability to cause injury to them, and to treat all animals, ESPECIALLY wild ones, as something to be wary of.
ctinn,
I agree. It seems that the vast majority of people have allowed most of what they “know” about animals to come from Walt Disney (or cutesy Animal Planet shows). They show an appalling lack of knowledge of the natural world, and a lack of respect for wildlife that can be dangerous.
There’s no indication that this unfortunate young woman did so though. Her death will (or at least it should) make people think twice about going running alone in a place where large predators are apt to exist. I mean, “two coyotes” does not sound like a danger and my first thought was “two coyotes?!” “Two coyotes?!!” But you know, as experienced as I am with animals, would I be able to fend off two coyotes if they maybe knocked me down, unawares, from behind? I think I would, but I don’t ever want to find out. I don’t go walking or running alone anymore. I either go with another person or a German shepherd dog.
Great advice Kittenz. The human dangers in the wild are much scarier than the animal kind. Everyone should take precaution everytime they are going into the wild.
ctinn, kittenz- Yes, this is exactly the sort of mentality I was addressing in my previous comment about the people who for instance go up and feed bears by hand or take their pictures with them. The lack of humility before nature and a very potentially dangerous animal, not to mention utter absence of common sense on display, well it just boggles the mind.
I also wanted to add a little to what ctinn said about people seeing canines as our “buddies.” This is a very true statement. People are inclined to try to approach them or feed them, thinking “hey their dogs,” without realizing the danger they are in. There is a lack of understanding that feral dogs can be every bit as dangerous as a wild animal. In fact, they are perhaps even more dangerous simply because they are numbed to any innate fear of us, which can make them very bold and likely to exhibit unprovoked aggressive behavior. It has been shown that the degree of domestication in an animal does little to stop its potential for reverting to a feral state, and in the case of dogs that prior domestication merely negates their shyness towards us. Furthermore, they know that humans mean food. No, I don’t mean humans as food :), but there is an association. Feral dogs are a big danger in many areas due to this sympathetic attitude towards them coupled with their lack of fear and potential aggressiveness. It’s a bad combination.
The feeling of these feral dogs as our buddies also can cause a pain when trying to manage their populations. It’s difficult to gain public support for a program that may entail eradicating these animals because people are still seeing them as pets and “buddies.” So whereas it might be Ok in many people’s minds to get rid of some wild animal pests, there is a soft spot towards dogs, and it can cause people to get upset when the dogs are destroyed. People don’t want to see dogs treated badly or killed, so there can be quite a bit of public resistance against any such management approach. What they don’t realize is that these feral dogs are a very real threat, to both humans and wildlife. The same sentiment can be seen towards efforts to eradicate feral house cats in some areas.
Anyway, yes, the lack of respect towards and knowledge of the natural world people can exhibit is unfortunate. This and the skewed image and misconceptions people have towards familiar animals, such as dogs, is not only misguided but dangerous as well.
I don’t know what I can add that has not already been said. I do live in Nova Scotia and have had experience with both breeds of coyote in the province. The timber wolf cross breed is definitely capable of taking a young woman by itself, and in my experience is entirely willing to do so as it has a territorial nature which the common coyote does not. I have heard the smaller coyote, though shy, can become accustomed to humans and almost tame, whereas it’s larger cousin is a serious carnivore and not to be trifled with at any time.
She probably just got scared and tried to run away. We’ve got a lot of good information here on Coyote, but no one seems to want to offer advice on how to avoid the situation or deal with it when it arises.
Unfortunately, the only real way to avoid predators is to stay inside. This young lady was on a well traveled trail in a park with other people around and she was still attacked and killed. You can take precautions.
Let this be lesson one, be aware of your surroundings, always! It’s easy to be taken in by the beauty of Mother Nature, and often times we forget how lethal she can be. It only takes one instance of letting your guard down and you are done for. Look for animal signs: prints, scat, carcasses, etc. Look to the sky, do you see carrion feeders? Research the areas you frequent and know the dangers.
Lesson two, be armed! Never go anywhere without a good sharp knife. If you are hiking, take a sturdy walking stick. Sassafras is excellent, collapsible aluminum hiking poles are useless for defense. Many places exist where you can’t take your firearm, but that doesn’t mean you have to be defenseless.
Lesson three, if confronted by a predator (with only a couple of exceptions) stand your ground! Never run from a predator! Only food runs away. Besides, there are so few predators out there that you can actually outrun, you’ll just be out of breath and your heart will be pounding. That means you’ll bleed faster, you’ll be low on O2 and you’ll lose consciousness faster. If you’re out cold, you can’t fight back.
Lesson four, this one might have saved the young lady’s life. The buddy system. We are social animals for a reason. It’s a survival strategy. Deer do it, Bison do it, Caribou do it too there’s safety in numbers. Besides, it’s not just predators you have to watch out for.
Mother Nature’s lethality takes many forms. You happen to be one of them! More people die in the wilderness from accidents than animal attacks. Very few folks can drag themselves from the woods with a broken knee, hip, or back and you really don’t want to know for sure if you can or not. Trust me on this one, some things are better left unknown.
Now don’t let any of this scare you off from the wilderness.
Animal attacks and accidents are actually quite rare. Many more people die on our nations highways than in our parks.
You hear lots of stories of animal attacks in news but it’s more media sensationalism. There are more than 300 million legal residents here in the U.S. the handful of attacks barely make a statistical blip.
Remember, when a human is attacked by a wild animal it’s never the animals fault. We’re passing, uninvited and unwanted, through their homes. Many of us forget this and fail to act as respectful guests. A little knowledge and a healthy dose of caution can keep you from becoming one of those statistical blips. Be aware, be cautious, and stay safe.
-When an artist dies the world mourns.