Pack of coyotes in Cte Saint-Luc backyard prompts warning from city

The last thing Essie VinebergSzlakexpected to see when she looked out into her Cte Saint-Lucbackyard was a pack of four coyotesgrazing on fallen crab apples under a tree.

But that's precisely what she sawthe morning of Oct. 2 and then again that afternoon.

"I was scared," said Vineberg Szlak, saying she'd read reports about a coyote in Kirkland that did attack a manlast summer.

"I know they're supposed to be harmless to people, except one of them was not."

• Coyote on the loose in Kirkland caught

Vineberg Szlak'sbackyard borders onCanadian Pacific Railway tracks. But she's never spotted coyotes before.

She went out on her back patio and used her camera to zoom in on the pack and says they didn't even flinch when they saw her.

She posted the photos to Facebook and emailed them toCte Saint-LucMayor Mitchell Brownstein. Thesecurity team for the municipalitythen contacted her to get more information.

Cte Saint-Luc to hire trappers

DarrylLevine, the city's director of public affairs and communications,saidthe coyotes are believed to be wandering into populated areas of the city from CPR property. He said the coyotes tend to gather in gullies along the railway tracks.

He said CPR will attempt to catch thecoyotes once trapping season begins.

In the case of the Montreal region, the season runs from Oct. 25 to March 1.

LevinesaidCte Saint-Lucis seeking permission to set traps for the animals before the startdate and intends to hire a trapper to live-trap the animals and relocate them.

'Hazing' coyotes and other tips

"This is the first time where we see they've been that close to residences," saidJordyReichson,CteSaint-Luc's director of public safety.

The municipalityhas posted anotice on its website, warning residents about the sightings.

It includes a video from the Town of Oakville, Ont., that shows people how to scare coyotes away from their property, or "haze" them.

The video advises residents to frighten visiting coyotes by standing tall, with arms raised, and yell, "Go away!"

"Stamp your feet and make short advances towards the coyote," one personin the video says. "Use noisemakers. Clap your hands, or blow a whistle."

"Throw sticks or small items in the direction of but not directly at the coyote."

If that doesn't work, the video advises property owners to advance towards the coyote with a rake or other threatening-looking object, or to spray them with a hose.

It warns against cornering a coyote, advising property owners to make sure the animal has an escape route. It also says not to haze an injured or sick coyote or a coyote with pups.

It also suggests several measures to discourage coyotes from visiting:

• Do not leave garbage or compost outside.
• Do not leave small pets outside unattended.
• Remove brush piles or small enclosures that would make a comfortable den.