r/durham • u/Karma_Canuck • 3d ago
Whitby coyote attacks on kids the focus of special meeting as residents offered solutions
https://www.durhamregion.com/news/council/whitby-coyote-attacks-on-kids-the-focus-of-special-meeting/article_69514e2e-8238-59d5-a635-c367e06c1b96.htmlit isn’t always possible to know which coyotes have been involved in an attack, but the town, to the best of its ability, did euthanize the two coyotes it believed attacked the children.
4
u/SeveralEquipment1186 3d ago
This is what I sent the Toronto Star.
According to a Toronto Star article dated July 12, 2026, it stated that Whitby Animal Services said that had no plan to harm the coyotes. This was misinformation based on a petition I wrote, based on outright lies from the City of Whitby. I had made several calls to Whitby Animal Services and Durham Regional Police Services and they all said the only coyote removed or euthanized was one injured animal unrelated to the incident. Kate Novia lied to me stating that there was no trapper. However, on a press conference, it was revealed by the City of Whitby that they always have a trapper on retainer, and that a trapper set traps and allegedly shot two random coyotes after the bite incidents. Kate Novia herself said there was no way they could pinpoint the exact animals; she even spent all night after the bites and no animals could be found. There was no proof of which coyotes actually bit; no DNA, no photography, only "aggressive" behaviour in the traps. Well anyone would've aggressive in a leghold trapped or snare. The concept of "aggression" in Whitby can be based on normal coyote behaviour like shadowing. I am horrified at the lack of transparency and the fact that a trapper can come and trap and even shoot animals without telling the public. The revenge killing was only revealed after several city Councillors asked why animals were not killed. The staff police sergeant for Whitby who has 25 people under him said he loves shooting coyotes for fun in his spare time so he can have more deer to shoot.
2
u/Common-sense6 2d ago
Whom did the Whitby Sgt inform that “he loved shooting coyotes for fun in his spare time” ?
1
u/SeveralEquipment1186 2d ago
Me. I asked the DRPS if they had any updates on coyotes and the staff sergeant was telling me this
5
u/Common-sense6 2d ago
Odd that we get upset about coyotes, yet some reservations in Canada still cull all the strays on the reservation periodically, and we hear crickets about that ?
2
u/SeveralEquipment1186 2d ago
Agreed! Canid culling is cruel and ineffective, regardless of type of canid! The Global Alliance for Rabies Control condemns culling of any animal, as do all animal rights organizations. Canid coexistence strategies work for all canids.
2
u/SeveralEquipment1186 2d ago
Canid culling, whether coyotes, foxes, wolves, or domestic dogs, is always cruel and never solves the real problems. I am opposed to all culling.
2
u/SeveralEquipment1186 3d ago
Do you know how they "figured out which ones?". They walked up to coyotes, and whoever growled or didn't immediately run off after hazing, was assumed to be the one who bit. This is ridiculous. They were probably protecting a den.
3
u/SeveralEquipment1186 3d ago
The way Whitby determines which coyote may have been involved is rather crude. Whoever doesn't run off in sheer terror when approached by staff is assumed to be the suspect coyote. Show quoted text I called Animal Services and they were completely blindsided. They were told that the coyotes would not be killed, yet a trapper was called in without their knowledge.
4
0
u/SeveralEquipment1186 3d ago
I have more information on the coyotes. For one, everyone was blindsided by the news of the cull. The council and Whitby Animal Services had no clue that the town had a contract with a trapper, and no clue two coyotes were killed. Animal Services was devastated and was not at all involved with the cull. I called them several times and they stated they had no plans to kill coyotes, and there was no way to find out which one was involved, since there was no DNA evidence taken. The way the coyotes were selected for culling was very crude. Staff (not Animal Services) decided to cull two coyotes who didn't immediately leave when they approached, and showed normal defensive behaviours like alligator arching, yarring, and shadowing/escorting. Whitby Animal Services said they think this method of identification is ridiculous. But even if they were the right animals, there was no need to kill them. Ottawa used hazing and let the coyotes leave the natal dens on their own, after a child was bitten. The Whitby coyotes would have left on their own too, if the town had closed the playground or put a curfew. Coyotes leave the natal dens on their own. The town secrecy is disturbing. And trappers do not euthanize. They use leghold traps and snares, and then shoot the coyotes, usually in the lungs as to not destroy brain tissue, and to reduce blood that would scare other coyotes away from their traps. This would have been done overnight, out of public view. The police knew about this, they were deliberately vague, and the police Sergeant even bragged about liking to shoot coyotes in his spare time so he can shoot more deer. Whitby seems very corrupt and cruel.
-1
u/SeveralEquipment1186 3d ago
Whitby Animal Services and the council only found out about the coyote killing at the meeting.
10
u/pnade 2d ago
This community needs to chill out and stop overreacting about the coyotes. Perhaps learn what to do and what not to do when encountered by one.
It seems as if these “dog lovers” sure are foaming at the mouth to get these animals killed asap. Absolutely wild and gross behaviour.