Don’t feed the coyotes. For their sake and survival, please do not feed the coyotes. The message has been around for years and is simple to understand, but apparently some people at the Sturgeon Community Hospital either stubbornly or ignorantly refused to believe their altruistic actions could have an unpleasant result.
As a result, Erin Ridge residents are now saying that a pair of troublesome coyotes has been aggressive toward Ted Hole Park users. So far, the animals have only been following dog walkers, as well as snarling and barking at passersby. With luck, they may have only been defending their pups and this behaviour will naturally end, but fish and wildlife officer Dennis Prodan believes they may have also lost their fear of humans because they are the same animals that were purposely fed.
Ironically, the best solution to this problem involves the same tool that likely caused it in the first place – the human brain. According to the University of Alberta’s Edmonton Urban Coyote Project, educated human behaviour can replace habituation and food conditioning with wariness. If you come across a coyote, make the encounter as unpleasant for the animal as possible. Yell, wave your arms and throw small objects. And never, never offer them food. You may believe you are making their lives easier, or that they have become your pets, but that is just not the case. Letting coyotes live as wild animals is the best favour you can do for them.
