LETTER

Cohabitating with coyotes 

The Society for the Protection of Animals Canada (SPA Canada) is pleasantly surprised by Montreal’s plan to manage coyotes, the first such plan for dealing with coyotes in urban areas created in Quebec. Rather than cruel methods such as extermination and relocation, the city has opted to respectfully cohabitate with coyotes, which are now frequent in certain areas of the city.

Non-human animals are part of cities’ biodiversity and must be recognized as part of the population. We are living in a time of growing appreciation for non-human animal species. Taking time to analyze the situation and find innovative ways of tackling the issue to prioritize cohabitation should be systematically implemented, moving forward. Rash, draconian measures, such as which had grave consequences for pitbull owners to manage the problem of dangerous dogs, is totally irrational.

There are methods to ensure coyotes’ safe coexistence, such as public awareness campaigns, a web form to report sightings of a coyote, or a Info-coyote hotline, improved garbage disposal, special teams to visit sectors to try to change the coyotes’ behaviour and discourage them from approaching humans, and compiling information received from the public to better understand the behaviour and movements of the coyotes in the city, all this allows us to manage their presence -- via effective, sustainable and admirable measures.

It is important to remember that coyotes primarily eat small rodents such as rats and mice, thereby helping control the invasive populations of these unwanted small rodents. 

Dominique Routhier, 

SPA Canada, Ottawa