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Frequently Asked Questions
Please Note: If you have had a pet attacked by a coyote, seen neighbours feeding coyotes, or have neighbours with yards that may attract coyotes you may download and print notes for your neighbours from the Neighbours Attracting Coyotes? page.
Coyote at the Stanley Park Miniature Railway entrance
Photo by M. Mackintosh
- What should I do if I see a coyote?
- What should I do if a coyote approaches me?
- What should I do if the coyote keeps approaching me?
- I've seen coyotes moving through my yard a lot recently. Why?
- How can I discourage coyotes from using my backyard?
- How can I keep my cat safe?
- How can I keep my dog safe?
- How can I prepare my child for potential coyote encounters?
- Why should I not feed coyotes?
- What should I do if I find an injured or sick coyote, or an abandoned pup?
What should I do if I see a coyote?
Note the date, time of day and what the coyote was doing. Call in the information to our hotline (604-681-9453) or e-mail us at: coyotes@stanleyparkecology.ca. We keep a database of sightings in the Lower Mainland to help identify areas of increased coyote activity.
If the coyote is seen in a residential area encourage the coyote to keep moving by shouting and gesturing aggressively at it. Remove all attractants around your property: accessible garbage and compost, pet food left outside, rat and mice habitat (birdseed fallen from feeders often attracts rodents).
What should I do if a coyote approaches me?
If a coyote approaches, appear as large and threatening as possible. Make aggressive gestures (moving arms and legs), shout in a low voice, and throw rocks, sticks or objects. Never run; coyotes, like most canids, like to chase moving objects. Coyotes are naturally timid animals and will flee when confronted with aggression.
What should I do if the coyote keeps approaching me?
Continue to exaggerate the techniques listed above. Do not turn away or run. Maintain eye contact and move slowly toward a building or area of increased activity.
I've seen coyotes moving through my yard a lot recently. Why?
Regular coyote presence in your backyard is a result of a nearby food source. The coyote may be finding a meal in your yard, your neighbour's, or at a house down or across the street. Intentionally or not, someone in your neighbourhood is feeding coyotes. Talking with your neighbours about identifying and removing the following coyote attractants will reduce the potential for coyotes to enter your backyard:
- Pet food stored or fed outside
- Accessible garbage bins and composts
- Fruit fallen from trees left to rot on the ground
- Rat or mouse habitat (wood piles, long grass, birdseed)
Although the majority of a coyote's diet consists of rodents, they also enjoy fruit, berries, birds, eggs, fish, crustaceans, and small pets. Even a poorly maintained bird feeder will attract rats, mice, coyotes and even bears! Never feed coyotes; fed coyotes lose their natural fear of people and become more aggressive toward people.
You may print out an anonymous note to leave in neightbour's letterboxes alerting them to things in the neighbourhood that are attracting coyotes.
How can I discourage coyotes from using my backyard?
It is crucial to understand that if one yard on your block is providing coyotes with a regular food source, there will be coyotes active throughout the neighbourhood. Get your neighbours on board to remove all attractants for coyotes in the neighbourhood. Attractants for coyotes include accessible garbage and compost, pet food left outside, rat and mice habitat (birdseed fallen from feeders often attracts rodents).
It is of equal importance to recognise that an indifferent attitude toward coyotes has a similar effect to feeding. Consider the following from a coyote's perspective:
- Out of 20 visual encounters with people around houses, 1 resulted in a steak supper watched by the resident, 1 resulted in a compost and mouse meal watched by the resident, 16 encounters were met with indifference and 2 encounters were negative experiences in which the residents chased the coyote off the property and down the lane.
- Out of 20 visual encounters with people around houses, 1 resulted in a fed roast chicken dinner and 19 experiences resulted in the coyote being scared off the property and block. Despite the free meal it is not likely that the coyote will return to the hostile area.
If a coyote is in your yard make the animal aware it is not welcome. Coyotes have been scared off properties by people waving hockey sticks or brooms at them, people throwing stones, balls or tins at them, people clanging pots and pans in their direction, or with the following home-made coyote deterrents:
- The Coyote Shaker: A pop can containing forty pennies, wrapped in aluminium foil and sealed with duct tape.
- The Can Clanger: A group of different sized tins and cans tied together with string.
The light reflecting off the foil and tin, the noise, and the aggressive shaking or throwing, effect the coyote's visual (reflective light), aural (sound of metal), and motion (fear of being struck) faculties simultaneously. Don't stop at your property line. A coyote in your neighbour's yard is the same thing as having one in your own. Harass the coyote until it has left the area.
Fences over 2 metres high that are flush to the ground will prevent coyotes from entering your yard.
How can I keep my cat safe?
The only way to ensure your cat is safe from coyotes is to keep it indoors. The more time your cat spends outdoors the greater the risk it faces, not only from coyotes, but also from raccoons, cars, domestic dogs, leukemia, parasites, feline AIDS, and other diseases. Indoor cats live longer and healthier lives than outdoor cats.
You can give your cat time outdoors by building an enclosed cat run.
Help prevent coyotes from using our backyards and neighbourhoods by removing attractants: accessible garbage and compost, pet food left outside, and rat and mice habitat.
How can I keep my dog safe?
Coyotes sometimes prey upon small dogs. Small dogs have even been taken directly off the leash. You can ensure your pet's safety by supervising it at all times when outside. Allow your dog off-leash only in enclosed areas. If you encounter a coyote while walking your dog, gather your dog in your arms. If this is not possible, keep it on a short leash as you move toward an area with increased activity. Shout, wave your arms, or throw objects at the coyote.
Large dogs rarely come into conflict with coyotes. Incidents generally occur during the late winter and early spring when coyotes mate and are more territorial. Do not let your dog to play or interact with coyotes.
Some other precautionary measures that can be taken include:
- Keep a whistle handy while walking your dog. The whistle may not scare the coyote directly (coyotes hear the same sirens, car alarms, and horns as we do), but it will alert other pedestrians in the area of your need for help.
- Walk your dog in areas of high pedestrian traffic such as busy streets, jogging and park trails. Walk during times of increased activity such as during daylight hours, around schools at arrival, dismissal, break or lunch periods, along transit routes as the work day begins or ends, and around parks when sporting events (e.g. soccer practice) are being held.
- Walk your dog with friends and family.
- Avoid walking along abandoned properties or densely vegetated areas.
- Make sure your dog is ahead of you and within sight at all times while walking.
Any dog that is off leash should have an immediate recall response to eliminate potential conflict with coyotes, dogs, and people.
How can I prepare my child for potential coyote encounters?
Education is the key to preparedness. Children should be taught how to behave around coyotes. In our classroom presentations we teach children to Be Big (stand up and raise your arms in the air), Be Mean (sound angry, stomp your feet, and throw something at the coyote), Be Loud (yelling "Go Away Coyote" so people nearby will come help), and Never Run.
Any aggressiveness displayed by coyotes should be reported to the Ministry of Environment at 1-800-663-9453.
Why should I not feed coyotes?
A Fed Coyote is a Dead Coyote
Coyotes that are intentionally fed by people invariably lose their fear of humans and develop aggressive behaviour, having to be destroyed. In addition, human food does not meet the animal's seasonal nutritional needs. There is plenty of natural food around for wildlife in the city.
Feeding Coyotes is a Crime
Section 33.1 of the BC Wildlife Act provides a minimum $345.00 ticket and maximum $50,000 fine and six month prison sentence for anyone who "with the intent of attracting dangerous wildlife to any land or premises, provides, leaves or places in, or about the land or premises, food, food waste or any other substance that could attract dangerous wildlife to the land or premises."
If you suspect a neighbour is feeding coyotes you may print out an anonymous note to leave in your neighbour's mailboxes.
What should I do if I find an injured or sick coyote, or an abandoned pup?
People often see coyote pups and other wildlife babies alone in the spring. Before the animal is approached, it should first be observed for at least 24 hours to ensure the parent is not returning to take care of its young. Once you are certain it is orphaned contact your nearest wildlife rehabilitation centre. In the Lower Mainland residents can call the Wildlife Rescue Association of BC in Burnaby at 604-526-7275 or the Critter Care Wildlife Society in Langley at 604-530-2064.
Do not attempt to handle an adult coyote. Injured wild animals are frightened and in pain. In addition, adult coyotes are extremely difficult to catch so long as they have use of all four limbs. Instead call your local wildlife rehabilitation centre. For help with sick or injured adult coyotes in the Lower Mainland call the Critter Care Wildlife Society in Langley at 604-530-2064.
