Ahuntsic-Cartierville: a skier falls face-to-face with coyotes

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A resident of Ahuntsic-Cartierville has photographed two coyotes on the ski trails of the nature park of the Ile-de-la-Visitation on the 6th of February last.

Nadia Lemieux

Wednesday, February 7, 2018 19:19

UPDATE
Wednesday, February 7, 2018 19:23

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A resident of the borough of Ahuntsic-Cartierville, Montreal, has been a surprise on Tuesday by falling down face-to-face with two coyotes during his hike, cross-country skiing at parc-nature de l’île-de-la-Visitation.

The woman in her thirties, was in the cross-country trails when two coyotes appeared near her. One of the two beasts, chronicles his father Marc Grenier, showed the teeth in mumbling.

“She has lifted up his sticks cross-country skiing growling louder. It has ceased to be aggressive. Then they turned around of her and they followed it for 30 minutes as pets.”

The communications officer at the City of Montréal, Anik de Repentigny said that this is the first report of the presence of coyotes in the park-nature.

She added that specialists in behavior of coyotes in urban areas have confirmed that “the risk that the coyote represents for the security of the population is extremely low. The very few recorded cases of attacks involved the use of coyotes for unusual behavior, fed, or caused by man.”

Since Tuesday, the measures have been highlighted in the nature park, to reduce the attractiveness of the site for the feeding of coyotes. The employees of the park continue to inform and educate its visitors on the coexistence with the coyote and new signage have been installed for this purpose.

Of students sensitized

The daughter of Mr. Grenier has a daughter aged 9 years who are attending primary school, Louis-Colin. His comrades of the 3rd cycle and she attended a workshop raising awareness about the presence of coyotes in urban areas.

This workshop of 30 minutes, offered by the united Group of educators-naturalists and environmental professionals (GUEPE), is an initiative of the borough of Ahuntsic-Cartierville. It allows students to learn how to recognize a coyote and to behave in his presence.

“As these students speak of these workshops to their parents, the information also goes to the latter. It is an operation of prevention,” said madame de Repentigny.

The workshop has up to now been offered to 50 classes, on a target of 100.