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City staff are investigating a coyote attack on a teenager near the Lalande Conservation Park in the east Ottawa community of Orléans.
Coun. Catherine Kitts wrote in her Orléans-South-Navan ward newsletter that the incident occurred Wednesday. Her staff confirmed Kitts spoke to the mother of the teen who was hurt.
CHEO, the children’s hospital in Ottawa, confirmed a boy was treated for injuries consistent with a coyote attack on Wednesday evening.
In a statement Friday, the City said staff had been monitoring an active coyote den in the area and is following up on the report to determine the next steps.
There has been warning signage in the area for more than a month, Kitts wrote, with “No Public Entry” added in mid-May.
“The incident has changed the nature of the City’s assessment,” Kitts said in a statement.
“Public safety remains the primary consideration and further information will be communicated as it becomes available.”
Until recently neighbours had found a way to coexist with the coyote den, according to Geneviève Mollema, vice-president of the Greater Avalon Community Association.
“Before I never heard about attacks on people,” Mollema said Monday. “Most of the people are aware not to go in this forest.”
It does not appear the bitten boy entered the forest, said Mollema, who added that the coyotes are in a difficult situation given the reduction of their habitat.
“I see it really as a consequence of the decisisons that have been made in the past by cutting down all those forests. Well, we have the symptoms now and it’s really obvious with this situation … we can see that it causes [a] public safety issue.”
A sign at the entrance of a path in the Lalande Conservation Park in the east Ottawa community of Orléans promotes awareness of coyotes in the area. (Jason Leroux/CBC)
The City said general sightings of coyotes can be reported to 311 so they can be tracked. If a wild animal poses a risk to public safety, the City said residents should call 911.
Ottawa police deferred comment to city bylaw services.
Residents are advised to respect warning and access restriction signs and avoid wooded areas after dark, the City said.
The City encourages residents to take the following precautions in an encounter with “aggressive wildlife”:
Never approach or attempt to touch the animal.Do not turn your back or run from the animal.Back away slowly while remaining calm.Stand tall, wave your arms, and make loud noises.Carry a flashlight when walking at night.
If a resident suffers scratch or bite by a wild animal that breaks they skin, they should contact Ottawa Public Health, the City said.