Ottawa staff recommend pilot project with Coyote Watch Canada in review of wildlife strategy

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City of Ottawa staff are recommending an annual expenditure of $48,000 to pay for a three-year partnership with Coyote Watch Canada that would result in the creation of a “municipal canid response team” that could be called in to help deal with conflicts between residents and coyotes or foxes.

The recommendation is one of 10 action-plan items in the review of the city’s 2013 Wildlife Strategy that will be presented to the joint Agriculture and Rural Affairs and Environment and Climate Change Committees on Monday.

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Here’s more on the proposal and what it would mean for Ottawa, if approved by councillors.

What prompted the review of the city’s 2013 Wildlife Strategy?

Council directed staff to undertake a review of options to better manage human-coyote interactions in October 2022. At the time, residents had expressed concerna about a coyote or coyotes that showed no fear of humans. One group of neighbours saw a small dog carried away. On Nov. 4, 2022, the city announced that its coyote-control operation had humanely euthanized three “highly habituated” coyotes, drawing the ire of wildlife advocates.

What is Coyote Watch Canada?

Established in 2008 and incorporated federally in 2014, Coyote Watch Canada is an Ontario-based, not-for-profit organization that promotes peaceful cohabitation with wildlife, focusing on coyotes, foxes and wolves, through science-based outreach, education, research and mitigation, said Lesley Sampson, its founder and executive director.

Does the organization work with other cities?

Yes. It has consulted with cities across Ontario, including Toronto, Guelph and St. Catharines, and has a long-standing partnership with Niagara Falls.

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Has it been involved with Ottawa’s coyote population?

Yes. Coyote Watch Canada volunteers have been dispatched to answer calls about sick or injured coyotes. In November 2022, one of its field volunteers found a coyote in McCarthy Woods caught with its neck in a snare. The city said the trap was unauthorized.

What would be funded by the proposed $48,000-per-year partnership?

The money would go towards establishment of a Municipal Canid Response Strategy. Developed by Coyote Watch Canada, its cornerstones include investigation, education, prevention and enforcement. The strategy also involves creating a canid-response team of “meticulously” trained volunteers who could be called in to investigate and make recommendations to mitigate human-vs-coyote conflicts, Sampson said.

Enforcement? What could be enforced that would deter coyotes?

The city could ban the feeding of wildlife, which encourages the habituation of coyotes, and enforce the use of leashes on domesticated dogs to avoid conflict between dogs and coyotes, Sampson said. Niagara Falls was one of the first cities in Eastern Canada to enact a bylaw to ban the feeding of coyotes.

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What are some of the other recommendations in the Wildlife Strategy review?

Other recommendations include engaging a wildlife resource specialist to lead Ottawa’s wildlife response and management activities, long-term protection of habitats, monitoring wildlife-transmitted diseases and continuing to explore “alternative beaver management practices, such as flow devices.

What are the next steps?

The report must go through three city committees — rural affairs, environment and housing — before it goes to city council. That’s expected to happen on June 26.

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