Coyotes Kill Woman in Canadian Park

[Songdog]

TORONTO (Oct. 28) -- Two coyotes attacked a promising young musician as she was hiking alone in a national park in eastern Canada, and authorities said she died Wednesday of her injuries.
The victim was identified as Taylor Mitchell, 19, a singer-songwriter from Toronto who was touring her new album on the East Coast.
She was hiking solo on a trail in Cape Breton Highlands National Park in Nova Scotia on Tuesday when the attack occurred. She was airlifted to a Halifax hospital in critical condition and died Wednesday morning, authorities said.
Coyotes, which also are known as prairie wolves, are found from Central America to the United States and Canada.
Wildlife biologist Bob Bancroft said coyote attacks are extremely rare because the animals are usually shy.
Bancroft, a retired biologist with Nova Scotia's Department of Natural Resources, said it's possible the coyotes thought Mitchell was a deer or other prey.
"It's very unusual and is not likely to be repeated," Bancroft said. "We shouldn't assume that coyotes are suddenly going to become the big bad wolf."
Royal Canadian Mounted Police spokeswoman Brigdit Leger said other hikers heard Mitchell's screams for help on Tuesday and called emergency police dispatchers.
Police who were in the area reached the scene quickly and shot one of the animals, apparently wounding it. But the wounded animal and a companion coyote managed to get away.
Paul Maynard of Emergency Health Services said Mitchell already was in critical condition when paramedics arrived on the scene and had multiple bite wounds over her entire body.
"She was losing a considerable amount of blood from the wounds," he said.
An official with Parks Canada said they blocked the entrance to the trail where Mitchell was attacked and were trying to find the animals to determine what prompted such an unusual attack.
"There's been some reports of aggressive animals, so it's not unknown," said Helene Robichaud, the park's superintendent. "But we certainly never have had anything so dramatic and tragic."
Mitchell was an up-and-coming folk and country musician who was nominated for a 2009 Canadian Folk Music Award in the Young Performer of the Year category.
"Words can't begin to express the sadness and tragedy of losing such a sweet, compassionate, vibrant, and phenomenally talented young woman," Lisa Weitz, Mitchell's manager, said in an e-mail. "She just turned 19 two months ago, and was so excited about the future."

http://news.aol.com/article/coyotes-kil ... -in/741093

Coyote attacks on humans are not very common, and this is the first lethal attack.

[-Sheeba]

I just heard about this a few hours ago, it's such a tragedy. I wonder what possibly could have driven the two coyotes to become so violent, it is indeed very unusual.

[SolitaryHowl]

I never heard of coyote attacks on people before. What an odd and unfortunate situation.

I couldn't help but cringe when the article made a reference to the 'big bad wolf.'

[-Sheeba]

The "coyotes" we have in Newfoundland do attack people often. We've come to believe they are actually coywolves, but I believe that has yet to be proven for a fact. My grandfather had trapped one of these animals which weighed in over 80 pounds. Not your typical "coyote" weight.

But as for regular coyotes, I've never heard of it. I know I said it, but it justs completely puzzles me to why they had attacked Taylor Mitchell.

[pawnee]

Its really sad that such a promising youth was killed in the beginning of her musical career. I feel sorry for her family.


But as with everyone else, I'm kind of surprised too. The only coyote attcks I've read about involve children...small children and generally a single predatory animal. This case involves a pack of coyotes/eastern coyotes/coywolves/ whatever you want to call them. Furthermore they attacked a full grown adult human being, Its known that coyotes can take down elk calves or deer but I've never heard of a situation in which tactics would be utilized on a person.


I'm hoping that further research into this case can shed some answers as to why, better yet how to prevent such accidents from occuring and how it can be avoided. I

[SolitaryHowl]

An update from ctv.ca:

RCMP have closed off the hiking trail. One of the animals was shot dead by RCMP late Tuesday, and armed conservation officers are on the hunt for the other coyote.

Link to article: http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/s ... pStoriesV2

[Moon Shine]

I couldnt help but notice the phrase 'big bad wolf', they are very wrong. In other words there has not been one recorded death by a wolf for 120 years, and wolves and coyotes attack cattle because where people make their farms, it might have been a hunting ground. Why dont Farmers and other people understand?

[Griffinsong]

Do they know if the coyotes were rabid?

[Sunawa]

This article surprised me a lot.I have heard of coyote attacks,but never kills.I wonder what made them do this.....As Grffinsong said,were they rabid?

[Griffinsong]

Source from Wikipedia:

In an interview with The Gazette, Brad White, a coyote expert at Trent University in Peterborough, Ont. said they might have been coyote-wolf hybrids. However, Don Anderson a biologist with the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources said he's seen no reason to suspect the animals were coyote-wolf crosses. Don Anderson noted there are no wolves in Nova Scotia or New Brunswick. Stan Gehrt, a coyote expert at Ohio State University's school of environment and natural resources suggested that the coyotes were rabid.

[Sunawa]

Source from Wikipedia:

In an interview with The Gazette, Brad White, a coyote expert at Trent University in Peterborough, Ont. said they might have been coyote-wolf hybrids. However, Don Anderson a biologist with the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources said he's seen no reason to suspect the animals were coyote-wolf crosses. Don Anderson noted there are no wolves in Nova Scotia or New Brunswick. Stan Gehrt, a coyote expert at Ohio State University's school of environment and natural resources suggested that the coyotes were rabid.

Well,that answers my question.Thanks for posting this Griffinsong!

[11britt13]

The coyote that was killed and sent to the PEI for exmanintaion, in fact wasnt rabid! i agree its a tragic thing that happened:[ this was the first fatall attack made by coyotes in both Canada and Cape Breton. But maybe the reason the coyotes attacked was because the woman was in their territory? Some people think they attacked her was because she had food in her back pack. but i think that is pretty unsuall for coyotes to do; since they are timid animals.

So it just gos to show that no matter where u are, u have to respect wild animals and their territorys

[Purity]

I feel incredibly sorry for the girl and her friends/family, yet I can't help but feel sorry for the coyotes as well. They had their minds set on food, and then they get shot for behaving like wild animals- which they are. Kinda sad on both parts, though I'm partially glad they've only gotten 1 person; imagine them stumbling upon a group of campers and wreaking more havoc.

[S and C FOREVER]

Oh my gosh.I have never heard of coyotes attacking.Maybe they had rabies.