Alice Kent, a resident of Christie Pits, has a weekly routine of leaving her back door open for her cleaner on Tuesday evenings. However, one day, she was surprised to find an unexpected visitor sneaking into her house along with the cleaner. The visitor turned out to be a baby coyote resting on the mattress in the master bedroom.
The sighting of the coyote in Kent’s home reflects a growing trend of human-coyote encounters in Toronto. According to city data, there have been nine coyote bite incidents in Toronto since 2020. Responding to this issue, Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik proposed an urgent action plan in February 2025.
Recent incidents involving coyotes, such as an attack on a child in Whitby in June and another on a two-year-old in July, have sparked concerns and ignited debates on how to manage the coyote population effectively.
Although initially finding the baby coyote cute, Kent’s feelings quickly changed as she realized the potential danger it posed, especially considering its skin condition, mange. Kent promptly contacted both 911 and the Toronto Wildlife Centre for assistance.
The Toronto Wildlife Centre’s executive director, Nathalie Karvonen, highlighted the common occurrence of close encounters with coyotes in the Christie Pits neighborhood due to ongoing feeding, which alters the animals’ behavior and reduces their fear of humans.
When the wildlife response team arrived, they located the coyote pup hiding under the bed. After a swift rescue operation, the team assessed the pup’s condition, provided necessary treatment on-site, and released it back into the area.
Kent had previously noticed three coyote pups near her property and followed the Wildlife Centre’s advice to scare them off. Karvonen recommended practical measures to deter unwanted coyotes, such as removing food sources, supervising pets, and making loud noises when necessary.
The Toronto Wildlife Centre focuses on monitoring reported ‘sick’ coyotes in the city, emphasizing the need for further research to determine the actual coyote population accurately.