'Prey-switching' blamed for death of Toronto woman mauled by coyotes in Cape Breton 13 years ago
A new and unusual theory has emerged about the coyotes that killed a young Toronto woman on a Nova Scotia hiking trail 13 years ago.
Researchers say that on Oct. 27, 2009, when singer-songwriter Taylor Mitchell set out alone in Cape Breton Highlands National Park, resident coyotes had adapted to a limited food supply by learning how to hunt and kill moose -- a trait believed to be extraordinary among these "generalist carnivores."
Stanley Gehrt, lead author of a paper recently published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, said that with the park's coyotes preying on such a large animal, it stands to reason they would be less inhibited about killing a human.
"When (coyotes grow) used to taking a 700-pound animal, and you have a single woman walking by herself ... it seems perfectly natural to assume that they simply saw her as a novel food item," Gehrt, a professor at Ohio State University, said in an interview.
"Our argument would be that (the coyotes') ability to survive ... is tied to their ability to switch from one food source to another. And those (coyotes) were eating a diet completely of moose."
Coyotes have been known to scavenge from the remains of dead moose, but Gehrt's study found evidence the park's population was actively hunting the animals -- a high-risk strategy for predators that can get stomped on.
"At least one (moose) carcass located during winter coyote tracking showed signs of predation, and on other occasions live, adult moose were observed with fresh wounds consistent with coyote bites, in addition to coyote tracks leading to the moose," says the study, which was supported by Parks Canada and the Nova Scotia Department of Lands and Forestry.
Coyotes in the park resorted to "prey-switching" because their typical prey, mainly snowshoe hare and white-tailed deer, were in short supply at the time, the study says. As well, the park's unique ecosystem supports only a small population of rodents, which can otherwise sustain coyotes that have little else to eat.
Gehrt said it's worth noting the park's coyotes are not subjected to hunting or trapping, which means they don't have a natural fear of humans.
Mitchell's violent death was only the second fatal coyote attack recorded in North America. She was 19 years old at the time and about to embark on a solo tour to support a promising musical career.
The mauling attracted international attention and wild speculation about the coyotes' behaviour. But Gehrt said he and his team determined the attack was similar to what would happen if the coyotes were after a deer.
"They had conditioned themselves to go after large prey, and this was something small," he said.
Virtually all recorded coyote attacks are the result of exposure to human food. But that wasn't the case with Mitchell. Of the five coyotes killed after the fatal attack, including the two directly responsible, none showed evidence they had eaten human food beforehand, the study says.
Gehrt stressed that the attack on Mitchell was related to the park's unique ecological characteristics, which have changed over the years. The moose population has been reduced and the snowshoe hare population has rebounded, which means live moose are no longer on the coyotes' menu.
"I don't view the coyotes in Cape Breton as being more dangerous right now than any other coyotes," he said.
As well, park staff are now less tolerant of aggressive animals.
"The Cape Breton system produces some novel types of behaviour, but it's temporary," Gehrt said. "The fact that we haven't had anything like that again puts it into context. It's manageable by increasing people's awareness. We can keep the risk extremely low."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 15, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Environmental racism': First Nations leaders claim cancer-causing contamination was covered up
The people of Fort Chipewyan believe the federal government believe the federal government knew its water was contaminated and hid the issue for years. Now the chief of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation is leading the call for immediate action.
Death toll from Hurricane Helene rises to 227 as grim task of recovering bodies continues
The death toll from Hurricane Helene inched up to 227 on Saturday as the grim task of recovering bodies continued more than a week after the monster storm ravaged the Southeast and killed people in six states.
Car flies into B.C. backyard, lands upside down
A driver suffered only minor injuries after going airborne in a residential neighbourhood in Maple Ridge, B.C., on Friday, the car eventually landing on its roof in someone’s backyard.
Donald Trump, Elon Musk attend rally at same Pennsylvania grounds where gunman tried to assassinate Trump
Donald Trump returned on Saturday to the Pennsylvania fairgrounds where he was nearly assassinated in July, holding a sprawling rally with thousands of supporters in a critical swing state Trump hopes to return to his column in November's election.
Tax rebate: Canadians with low to modest incomes to receive payment
Canadians who are eligible for a GST/HST tax credit can expect their final payment of the year on Friday.
'No one has $70,000 dollars lying around': Toronto condo owners facing massive special assessment
The owners of a North York condominium say they are facing a $70,000 special assessment to fix their building's parking garage. '$70,000 is a lot of money. It makes me very nervous and stressed out of nowhere for this huge debt to come in,' said Ligeng Guo.
Police ID mom, daughter killed in Old Montreal; video shows person break into building before fatal fire
Police released the identities of the mother and daughter who were killed after a fire tore through a 160-year-old building in Old Montreal on Friday.
Frequent drinking of fizzy beverages and fruit juice are linked to an increased risk of stroke: research
New data raises questions about the drinks people consume and the potential risks associated with them, according to researchers at Galway University in Ireland, in partnership with Hamilton’s McMaster University.
'I screamed in shock and horror': Family faces deadly Vancouver hit-and-run driver during sentencing
The sentencing of the man who pleaded guilty in the deadly hit-and-run in Kitsilano two years ago began on Friday.