Parks Canada has announced that they have euthanized a coyote that was seen chasing a cyclist on the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton. At the same time, conservation officers are still searching for another coyote that bit a different cyclist’s arm. Erich Muntz, a resource conservation manager with Parks Canada, stated that the chasing behavior exhibited by the coyote in the recent incident was deemed dangerous enough to warrant shooting the animal. The incident occurred on MacKenzie Mountain in Cape Breton Highlands National Park, where the coyote was observed chasing both motorcyclists and a cyclist on the steep road.
As of Saturday, the conservation officers had not yet located the coyote responsible for the attack on a cyclist in the Green Cove area, about 50 kilometers east of MacKenzie Mountain, which took place on Wednesday. Muntz mentioned that the officers were already aware of the coyote that was euthanized on Friday, as it had displayed fearlessness towards humans in the past and had been observed chasing motorcycles. He explained that coyotes pose a danger when they start chasing bicycles, particularly on steep hills like MacKenzie Mountain, where cyclists often move at slower speeds and become vulnerable.
Muntz speculated about the reasons behind the coyotes’ behavior towards cyclists. He suggested that the sound and motion of the bicycle wheels may irritate the animals, and there could also be a link to people feeding the coyotes, causing them to lose their fear of humans. Additionally, Muntz mentioned that a decrease in natural prey, such as snowshoe hares, whitetail deer, and moose, in the park could contribute to the coyotes’ behavior.
The parks service has urged the public to exercise caution and avoid walking or cycling in the area. They advised against feeding or enticing the coyotes to come closer. If approached by a coyote, people should not run away but instead maintain eye contact, try to appear larger by waving their arms and shouting, and throw hard objects like rocks to scare the animal off.
Coyote attacks in the national park are not uncommon, and there was a fatal attack in October 2009, resulting in the death of a 19-year-old singer-songwriter. Parks Canada emphasized the importance of being vigilant and taking appropriate precautions when encountering coyotes.