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Coyote Conflict History
Records from B.C.'s Ministry of Environment (Formerly the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection) state that there have been seven incidents in which Lower Mainland residents have been bitten since coyotes were first spotted in the late 1980s. Between 2000 and 3000 coyotes are now thought to be living in the Lower Mainland. Only two of the seven incidents resulted in hospitalization.
According to statistics from the B.C. Ministry of Health (1985-1993) dog bites have resulted in 88 hospitalizations a year.
(View the leading causes of child hospitalization in B.C.)
The most recent incidents of coyotes biting humans occured in:
- July 2001: A coyote attacked a one-year-old while her mother was gardening in their front yard. The child received 10 stitches on the side of her face and was hospitalized. Conservation officers searched the area for the coyote but were unable to locate and remove it. Area residents told them about a local who regularly feeds coyotes in a nearby park. Conservation officers found soup bones scattered along a park trail approximately four blocks from where the attack occurred.
- July 2001: A six-year-old girl was bitten on the elbow while walking with a friend and their fathers in a park. There were numerous reports that coyotes in the area had been deliberately and systematically fed by a resident. A necropsy performed on the coyote revealed a large amount of a stew or soup type substance (meat chunks, animal fat, corn and celery) in the coyote's stomach.
- September 2000: A 17-month old boy was bitten by a coyote while at an older brother's evening soccer practice and suffered four wounds on his head, one of which required stitches. The child was sitting on the grass, about 20 feet away from his parent. The coyote came onto the field and was either not noticed or ignored by the group of people at the field. The coyote then approached the young boy, and bit him on the left shoulder. The bite did not break the skin but only caught the child's clothing. People started yelling and screaming and the coyote let go of the clothing and bit the boy on the face, before being chased away. Vancouver police and conservation officers attended the scene but were unable to locate and remove the coyote.
- May 2000: A coyote that had been chewing on a bone near a town house complex bit a four-year-old girl playing by herself in the playground. She began to approach the coyote, became scared and started to run. The coyote chased her and bit her on her hip. Some teenage boys 80-100 feet away scared the coyote away. Conservation Officers were unable to locate and remove the coyote.
- April 2000: A coyote nipped a girl on her buttock in a busy city park. There had been frequent reports of the coyote approaching people and being hand fed. A necropsy of the removed coyote found strips of chicken in its stomach.
- January 2000: A 28-year-old male confronted a coyote in a semi-enclosed area beside an apartment building between 2:00 and 3:00 A.M. The coyote had no escape route other than running directly by the man. The coyote ran towards the man (and the exit), the man kicked at the coyote and the coyote bit the man's shoe before running past him. No medical treatment was sought.
Causes of Child Hospitalization in B.C.
| Cause of Injury | Age Group | Number Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| Hot substances | 4 and under | 104 |
| Accidental Poisoning | 4 and under | 205 |
| Motor Vehicle Accident as a Pedestrian | 9 and under | 50 |
| Motor Vehicle Accident as a Passenger | 14 and under | 164 |
| Bicycle Accidents (Not Including Motor Vehicle) | 14 and under | 292 |
| Struck By Object | 14 and under | 392 |
| Falls | 14 and under | 2125 |
| Dog Bites | All ages | 88 |
| Statistics from British Columbia Ministry of Health:
"Leading Causes of Hospitalization due to Unintentional Injuries..." Project No.: 1999-067 Statistic are an annual average from 1985/86 to 1992/93 from British Columbia Ministry of Health. Hospitalizations (Excluding Emergency Room Visits) due to Dog Bites. (E906.0) |
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