![\"Nicholas](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/manitou_conservation_officer_nicholas_woroniuk_august_2025.jpg\"\/)
Nicholas Woroniuk, a Manitou-based Conservation Officer with the Province of Manitoba.\nNo removal planned<\/p>\n
A recent resident report\u00a0described a coyote sighting near the Morden Research Station while she was walking her dog. Staff at the research site also called it in, noting the animal didn\u2019t immediately run off and was causing concern.<\/p>\n
Nicholas Woroniuk, a Manitou-based Conservation Officer with the Province of Manitoba, says officers followed up. \u201cWe went out to investigate the complaint and spoke to some employees from the area and spoke to the complainant,\u201d he explained. \u201cWe couldn’t confirm whether the coyote did have [mange] or not, and the behaviour that it was displaying wasn’t of any real concern to us at that point.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicholas Woroniuk, a Manitou-based Conservation Officer with the Province of Manitoba.
\nNo removal planned<\/p>\n
Woroniuk stressed there is no plan to remove the animal. \u201cWe aren’t taking any kind of removal efforts in this situation with this coyote,\u201d he said. \u201cThe behaviour that it was exhibiting wasn’t anything that we’re concerned about. It’s kind of just normal coyote behaviour with no aggression.\u201d<\/p>\n
Coyotes, he added, often pause and watch people, especially in places where they\u2019re accustomed to human presence. \u201cThey’re curious creatures\u2026 especially coyotes in urban environments\u2026 they’re used to seeing people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
![\"Nicholas](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/manitou_conservation_submitted_coyote_august_2025_04.jpg\"\/)
Photo of a rural coyote. Submitted by Province of Manitoba Conservation.
\nWhy coyotes show up in town<\/p>\n
While the province doesn\u2019t keep exact coyote counts, Woroniuk noted they adapt well to edge-of-town landscapes like those around Morden and Winkler, with ravines, treed areas, fields, retention ponds, and lakes with plentiful deer, rabbits, and nesting birds. \u201cThese coyotes have everything that they need. They have cover, they have food. So, it is very common to see them thrive in these kinds of areas,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
How to coexist and keep pets safe<\/p>\n
Woroniuk\u2019s guidance for residents is practical and calm.<\/p>\n
Make noise on sighting.\u00a0\u201cThe biggest thing\u2026 is they learn by association,\u201d he said. \u201cMake sure that we’re making noise, like yelling at them, making them feel uncomfortable, so they know to steer clear of humans.\u201d<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t feed wildlife (or leave pet food outside).\u00a0Feeding teaches animals to associate people and yards with food.<\/p>\n
Leash your pets.\u00a0\u201cMake sure your pets are on a leash,\u201d Woroniuk said. \u201cIt\u2019s a normal dog behaviour, if it sees something it wants to chase it, and that will put us in a situation that we don’t want to be in with the wildlife.\u201d<\/p>\n
Walk with others and stay visible. Groups and conversations help prevent surprise encounters.<\/p>\n
Time your outings. Coyotes, like most wildlife, are most active at dawn and dusk; those concerned can avoid high-activity windows.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a reality of living in communities like this\u2026 that coyotes are here. We do have wildlife in these communities,\u201d Woroniuk said. \u201cIt’s not something we need to be afraid of.\u201d<\/p>\n
Related stories:<\/p>\n
If you think an animal is unwell<\/p>\n
Residents who see wildlife acting unusually are encouraged to report it. \u201cIf you do see an animal that’s acting oddly or that you suspect to be sick\u2026 phone the Turn in Poachers line or you can call the district office here in Manitou at 204-242-2950,\u201d Woroniuk said. Photos, if safely obtained, help officers assess issues such as mange (often visible as hair loss and exposed, irritated skin).<\/p>\n
On disease concerns, Woroniuk noted, \u201cAs far as coyotes\u2026 in this area, we’re not really that concerned about rabies.\u201d He said rabies is more commonly carried by bats and skunks, and that canine distemper in foxes and raccoons can mimic rabies symptoms (disorientation, discharge around eyes and nose), which is why reporting is important so officers can investigate.<\/p>\n
![\"Photo](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/manitou_conservation_submitted_coyote_august_2025_03.jpg\"\/)
Photo of a rural coyote. Submitted by Province of Manitoba Conservation.
\nThe takeaway<\/p>\n
Wildlife has long shared our community spaces. Woroniuk\u2019s message is steady: stay aware, don\u2019t feed, keep pets leashed, make noise when you see a coyote, and choose walking times that lower the chance of encounters. \u201cFor the most part they stay clear of humans\u2026 It\u2019s something we need to be aware of, not something we need to be afraid of,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
With files from Robyn Wiebe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A recent resident report\u00a0described a coyote sighting near the Morden Research Station while she was walking her dog.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":91746,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[49,48,66,323],"class_list":{"0":"post-91745","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wildlife","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-science","11":"tag-wildlife"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91745","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=91745"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91745\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/91746"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91745"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91745"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91745"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}