Coyotes, once ghosts in our midst, are now seen more frequently in Ottawa’s urban and rural environment. Coyotes have always lived here and always will. By understanding their normal habits and behaviours, we can learn to live in peaceful coexistence with these intelligent and resourceful creatures.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry reports that coyote populations remain stable in our area. Urban sprawl is a key factor that influence coyote sightings. Dens are destroyed through development; new territories must be found to hunt and forage; increased human infrastructure, such as roads and shrinking forest corridors, affect wildlife movement. The resilient, intelligent coyote adapts well to these changing environmental conditions, resulting in more frequent sightings.

People can become aware of coyote behaviour and understand the differences between true threats and coexistence. And please be kind and keep the wild in wildlife–never feed coyotes and never encourage human interaction.