A young boy was bitten by a coyote at Bruce Boyd Parkette in Markham on Saturday evening, prompting York Regional Police to issue an urgent alert to residents in the surrounding community. Officers were called to the park at approximately 7:30 p.m. after witnesses reported the attack, and the child was taken to hospital with injuries that were thankfully described as non-life-threatening.
The incident was the second coyote attack in the York Region area within just one week. Last Thursday, a 16-year-old was bitten not far from Bruce Boyd Parkette, near Burr Oak Avenue and Mingay Avenue. Police have not confirmed whether the same coyote was responsible for both attacks, but the pattern of repeated encounters in the same neighbourhood has heightened concern among residents.
One resident who witnessed the aftermath of Saturday's attack described the scene. My wife came out standing in the lobby. She saw a coyote chasing a group of kids. The smallest kid at last, the coyote caught the kid, he told CBC News. His wife initially mistook the animal for a small dog before realizing what was happening and screaming for help.
Neighbours say they have been worried about coyotes that seem increasingly brazen in the community for some time. I am worried, especially whenever there is a little kid involved, said another resident. If you look at this neighbourhood, my parents moved here about 15 years ago and it is a really new community now. There are so many kids running around. I am just really worried.
The growing concern is compounded by the fact that Bruce Boyd Parkette is located in a family-oriented residential area where children regularly play outdoors, particularly during the warmer months. Residents say that coyote sightings in the area have become more frequent and that the animals appear to have lost their natural fear of humans.
York Regional Police are urging all residents in the area to be on high alert when using parks and green spaces, particularly at dawn and dusk when coyotes are most active. Officers are also advising parents to supervise children closely in outdoor areas and to report any coyote sightings to police immediately.
Wildlife experts note that coyote attacks on humans are relatively rare but can occur when the animals become habituated to urban environments and associate populated areas with food sources. The combination of new residential developments adjacent to natural habitat corridors has created conditions that bring coyotes into closer contact with families and pets across many suburban communities in the Greater Toronto Area.