Following a continuation of escalated interactions with coyotes in the Fort York and Liberty Village area and after comprehensive reviews with external experts, the City of Toronto has made the difficult decision to euthanize a mated coyote pair due to rising concerns for public safety.
Like foxes, raccoons and deer, coyotes are a natural part of Toronto’s urban landscape, coexisting with residents largely without issue. Coyotes live in cities throughout North America and are transient, moving in and out of areas throughout the year. However, a unique situation has developed in recent months in the Fort York and Liberty Village neighbourhoods that required an escalated response to keep the public and pets safe.
The City undertook a thoughtful and thorough three-part review over several months that included:
Over the last few months, the City has actioned the recommendations from the expert panel report, including targeted aversion, removal of food sources, repair of broken fences, improved lighting, etc. Despite these actions, and consistent with independent assessments, it was identified that the Liberty Village and Fort York neighbourhoods have a confluence of several unique factors that have conditioned the coyotes to human interactions. This conditioning has in turn led to injuries and pet attacks. Serious challenges for this community have been posed by habitat displacement from local construction; high density pet and human population with limited green space; feeding of wildlife; dog excrement, which attracts rats – a food source for coyotes; and improper waste disposal.
Through the use of updated data and information from multiple sources, Toronto Animal Services was able to confirm that one coyote in the area was responsible for multiple negative encounters, and his mate was present during some encounters. This mated pair were humanely euthanized over the past few days following all provincial protocols and regulations. A third coyote has left the area, possibly due to increased aversion activities, which are unpleasant and unwelcoming to coyotes. There is no evidence that the fourth coyote is reactive or habitualized to human interactions, nor has it been seen in the area recently.
While the City successfully supports wildlife in its natural habitat across Toronto, if animal behaviour changes in a way that jeopardizes public safety, then the City must take action to protect residents. This has been done as a last resort after all options were exhausted.
As coyotes will always live in these neighbourhoods, and others across the city, bylaw officers and City animal experts will continue to monitor the area and educate residents to continue to use techniques to minimize the likelihood of future issues.
The City is operationalizing a Downtown Coyote Action Plan that, in addition to continuing to respond to individual incidents and conducting aversion conditioning, involves a comprehensive, multi-part plan covering:
This will help create a longer-term solution for wildlife, pet and human safety.
The Downtown Coyote Action Plan will also be used to inform broader updates to the City of Toronto’s 2013 Coyote Response Strategy, which will be brought to the Economic and Community Development Committee and City Council for endorsement later in 2025.
Quote:
“Coyotes are an important part of Toronto’s diverse ecology, helping to control rodent and rabbit populations. The City’s goal is to preserve wildlife and coexist with them. We want to protect our incredibly diverse wildlife and all the thousands of unique species calling this city home. Coyotes have adapted very well to life in the city as food and shelter are plentiful and natural predators are limited. So, these animals will continue to live near us. All urban dwellers are encouraged to remain vigilant in decreasing their coyote risk behaviours by continuing to pick up after their pet, eliminate food waste in public areas and leash their pets. I appreciate the community’s support in working with the City to ensure that the area is safe and habitable for all.”
– Dr. Esther Attard (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Director -Toronto Animal Services)
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