Teenaged folk singer killed by coyotes in Nova Scotia

This is just horrible. She was 19 years old and had only released her first album earlier this year.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/717207--toronto-singer-killed-by-coyotes



RIP, Taylor Mitchell. :'(

 

Very unusual. Coyotes are usually scared of humans. Throw a rock at them and they'll run off, usually even a pack of them.

 

I'd wager these coyotes spent so much time around that heavily-used trail that they overcame the fear of humans.

 

Biologists are completely baffled by this attack.

There's only been one other recorded death by a coyote in North America--back in '81.

Cape Breton Highlands National Park is in a pretty sparsely populated area--the park's on the northern tip of the Island. And as one wildlife guy said on CBC, you have more to fear from your neighbour's dog than being attacked by a coyote. They tend to run at the first sign of humans.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/Front/1150025.html

"It’s very atypical of coyotes anywhere. We may at the end of all of this, despite any investigation, never have the answer as to why this happened," said Mr. Patterson, who’s an adjunct professor at Trent University in Ontario.

 

Were they rabid?

 

I was just about to ask that.

 

Rabies is mentioned in the Chronicle-Herald article I posted but then discounted.

He doubted that either animal involved in the attack was diseased because if they were sick, it would be unlikely the two would travel together.

An ill coyote generally "snaps" at others and "retreats," he said.

Rabies is a possibility, Mr. Way said, but two coyotes being involved in the mauling makes him question that.

"The first thing I thought with two animals is ‘wow, that’s bizarre,’ which is why I’m a little nervous to say ‘yeah, it’s a sick animal,’ " he said.

 

Thanks, JR. I only read the first link.

Is there open season on coyotes up there?

I remember in Arizona you could kill them any time and with anything is seemed like.

You shot 30 coyotes with your AK-47? Good job!

 

Open season here too. It's still common to see coyote carcasses laid over barbed wire fences.

 

Um, I don't know about open season up here.

There are lots and lots of ravines in Toronto and two major river valleys so they've invaded the city parks and neighbourhoods. Saw one driving to work a couple of months ago but I didn't have my AK 47 with me.

There was one who jumped a backyard fence in the middle of the city grabbed a family's dog and ran off with it. Dog's owner saw it all.

Then we had a huge debate about whether the coyote should be killed if caught. Consensus was no.

 

What kind of car was the coyote driving? Please, please say it was one of these.

 

Really?

That tune will change with the more problems you have.