I used to love watching the Looney Tunes cartoon show Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner when I was a kid. In each episode, the two protagonists were placed in an predator/prey scenario in which the coyote would use all kinds of absurdly complex contraptions and elaborate plans to pursue his quarry, instead of relying on natural animal senses and cunning.
It was a great show and a lot of fun to watch!
Where I grew up, in England, the largest animal that would fill the coyote role would be the red fox. They’re not really known to be dangerous in the U.K., unless you happen to be a chicken or rabbit. You wouldn’t get a press release from the local council, for instance, warning people to beware of foxes at this time of year (at least, not that I’m aware of).
So I was bemused yesterday to see such a press release from the City of Toronto, about winter sightings of coyotes in the city. Apparently, this is a normal event.
Residents in the city of Toronto who live on or near ravines and forests (typical coyote habitat) should expect to have more coyote sightings during winter months.
Coyotes may approach pets that are not supervised, especially cats and small dogs. It is always a good idea to keep an eye on your pet while they are outside. It is very unlikely that a coyote will be attracted to a child; however, close supervision of children is also important.
I never imagined, all that time ago as a child watching the antics of Wile E. Coyote, that I would eventually live in a country where coyotes are regular wildlife. Not to mention other predators such as wolves, although the chances of seeing those larger carnivores within the city limits are fairly slim (I hope!).
That said, this particular city notice about coyotes didn’t surprise me as much as the sign below, which I saw while hiking in the hills around Whistler, B.C. a few years ago!
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I was born in England, spent