Coyote concerns rise in Nova Scotia town

Tourists flock to Mahone Bay, N.S., to gaze at the three famous churches and stunning coastal scenes, but locals are watching for coyotes after recent run-ins with the predator.

Along the Bay to Bay trail, sightings of coyotes are becoming more common, however, according to Nova Scotia’s Department of Natural Resources and Renewables (DNR), complaints have increased about the aggressive behaviour they are displaying to people they encounter along the trail.

“We’ve been receiving these complaints for quite a few months now,” said Nova Scotia DNR’s director of wildlife Andrew Boyne.

In one incident, a coyote followed an individual walking through the trail. In the second incident, five coyotes approached an individual walking their dog through the trail.

In response, DNR set up traps to capture and euthanize the animals. However, this brought mixed reactions from the community.

“The opinion that was being expressed was concern for the well-being of the animal who was maybe caught in the leg hold traps or was going to be exterminated. I mean we are the interlopers here,” said Mahone Bay Mayor David Devenne.

Boyne said clear instructions are outline in provincial policy when handling aggressive wildlife that may endanger humans.

“Public safety is our number one priority followed closely by animal welfare,” he said.

An aggressive coyote is not the work the risk said Boyne. “We have a process of evaluation for every human interaction and this one was significant enough that it triggered us engaging in what we call an aggressive wildlife trapper to come in and try to trap the animals. This happens very rarely.”

So far DNR has caught and euthanized two coyotes.

However, some experts said species need to coexist without taking extreme actions like trapping and euthanizing.

“How do you go around most of Nova Scotia now without running into people and that’s exactly what is happening with their territories are being afforested,” said Bob Bancroft, biologist and president of Nature Nova Scotia.

DNR’s decision did not bode well for some said Bancroft, including one local trail association that was hoping to educate people on the presence of coyotes instead of eliminating them.

“It would’ve been better if people had been informed before that the decision was going from awareness and education to actually eliminating animals,” he added.

For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.