Councillor raises concerns over coyotes in north Saskatoon

A Saskatoon city councillor says he’s been getting more reports from his constituents about coyotes, particularly in the city’s north end.

The topic was brought up by Ward 5 Councillor Randy Donauer during Wednesday’s city council meeting.

“I’ve had a few reports of them being quite aggressive and actually challenging people that have small children or pets with them,” Donauer said. “In that situation, people called the city and the city actually told them to call the police.”

Lynne LaCroix, the city’s general manager of community services, confirmed there’s been an increase in public calls about coyotes.

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“There has indeed been a bit of an uptick in terms of number of calls, particularly around coyotes, but wildlife in general,” she told councillors.

Some of that has been driven by an increase in the rabbit population, she explained which attracts coyotes and other predators.

LaCroix said the city’s urban biological services investigates the locations where the animals are spotted and determines whether the coyotes are very aggressive. They’ll also ask for help from Saskatoon police if necessary, she added.

“Coyotes are pretty sly. They’re difficult to trap because they’re very suspect of baited areas or shelters,” she said. “Our teams will go out and put out signs and notifications for people, letting them know coyotes have been spotted in this particular area.”

LaCroix said the city’s website has advice and information on what to do if people encounter a coyote, including what they should do if they see one that appears sick, trapped, or especially aggressive.

“Don’t turn your back on them. Make sure you make yourself big, throwing things in their direction – not at the animal, but just in their direction to scare them away,” she said.

“You’ll see more of them if you have a pet, a dog in particular.”