{"id":489905,"date":"2026-02-21T12:26:46","date_gmt":"2026-02-21T12:26:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/489905\/"},"modified":"2026-02-21T12:26:46","modified_gmt":"2026-02-21T12:26:46","slug":"what-residents-should-know-city-of-mississauga","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/489905\/","title":{"rendered":"What residents should know \u2013 City of Mississauga"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Increased coyote activity is expected in January and February. Find safety tips and report sightings to help keep our communities safe.<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<p>Coyotes play an important role in Mississauga\u2019s ecosystem. While they typically avoid people, coyote sightings increase during their January\u2013February mating season. At this time of year, coyotes become more visible and protective of their territory, and residents may hear more howling or yipping as they communicate with one another.<\/p>\n<p>To help reduce community risks during coyote mating season, the City is raising awareness about coyote behaviour and sharing steps residents can take to stay safe and protect their pets.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mississauga.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Pups-scaled.jpeg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-71931 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Pups-387x265.jpeg\" alt=\"Coyote mother and 3 pups playing on a fallen log\" width=\"387\" height=\"265\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>What to do if you see a coyote<\/p>\n<p>Coyotes are active during both daytime and nighttime hours. They are easier to spot in winter months as trees and shrubs lose their foliage.<\/p>\n<p>If you see a coyote while walking or using local trails, stay calm and give it space. In most cases, the coyote will move away on its own. Slowly leave the area and avoid sudden movements.<\/p>\n<p>Never approach, feed, or try to interact with a coyote. Feeding wildlife is one of the main reasons coyotes lose their natural fear of people and become comfortable around humans.<\/p>\n<p>Safety tips during mating season<br \/>\nKeep pets close and coyotes away from your property<\/p>\n<p>Coyotes may see pets, especially dogs, as threats. Keep dogs close, avoid using retractable leashes, and never leave pets unattended outdoors.<\/p>\n<p>Keep your property clean to avoid attracting coyotes. Secure garbage and green bins, clean up fallen bird seeds, and remove any outdoor food sources.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mississauga.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/10101648\/Coyote-15-scaled.jpeg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-113658 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Coyote-15-353x265.jpeg\" alt=\"Coyote picking through discarded fast food trash for scraps.\" width=\"353\" height=\"265\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Avoid den areas<\/p>\n<p>Coyotes are especially defensive near their dens and young pups. Dens are often hidden in wooded areas or near fallen logs. When walking pets, stay on open, marked paths and avoid walking after dusk whenever possible.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mississauga.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Fairwinds-8-scaled.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-71933 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Fairwinds-8-353x265.jpg\" alt=\"Coyote signage at local Mississauga park\" width=\"353\" height=\"265\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Watch for escorting behaviour<\/p>\n<p>A coyote may follow from a distance, hunch its back, or make vocal sounds such as barking or yipping to guide you away from its den.<\/p>\n<p>If a coyote shows these escorting behaviours, make sure to:<\/p>\n<p>Stand tall and face the coyote<br \/>\nWave your arms or open your jacket to appear larger<br \/>\nMake noise by clapping, speaking firmly, or jingling your keys<br \/>\nBack away slowly and do not run<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"image-link-wrapper\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mississauga.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/29093039\/Coyote-Map.png\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-147587\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Coyote-Map-617x265.png\" alt=\"Screenshot of the City of Mississauga's Coyote and Fox Sightings Map\" width=\"617\" height=\"265\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Report coyote sightings to the City<\/p>\n<p>If you see a coyote, you can report its location using the City of Mississauga\u2019s online coyote sightings map. Reporting helps Mississauga Animal Services monitor activity, respond appropriately, and provide education in areas where it is needed. <a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/aae0f3c06f9d4c44a3ce0daa7fa41015\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">View the City of Mississauga\u2019s Interactive Coyote and Fox Sightings Map<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>If you see a coyote that is sick, injured, or not keeping a safe distance, call Mississauga Animal Services at 905-896-5858.<\/p>\n<p>For more information, visit the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mississauga.ca\/services-and-programs\/animals-and-pets\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mississauga Animal Services webpage<\/a> or check out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=7lg32CTqWjc\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">this video featuring coyotes in Mississauga<\/a>. It explores coyote behaviour, shares safety tips, and discusses how to coexist with them safely:<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                                    Tags&#13;<br \/>\n                                    &#13;<\/p>\n<p>    Media contact<\/p>\n<p>City of Mississauga Media Relations<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mississauga.ca\/city-of-mississauga-news\/news\/coyote-mating-season-what-residents-should-know\/mailto:media@mississauga.ca\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">media@mississauga.ca<\/a><br \/>905-615-3200, ext.\u00a05232<br \/>TTY:\u00a0905-896-5151<br \/><a class=\"newsnews\" href=\"https:\/\/preferences.enewsmississauga.ca\/subscribe?category=City%20of%20Mississauga\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Get email updates<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Increased coyote activity is expected in January and February. Find safety tips and report sightings to help keep&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":489906,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194297],"tags":[49,48,55405],"class_list":{"0":"post-489905","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mississauga","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-mississauga"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/489905","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=489905"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/489905\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/489906"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=489905"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=489905"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=489905"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}