Coyote sightings are common in the City of Burlington, as our green spaces and forested areas provide an excellent habitat for them. While coyotes will generally avoid humans, they can pose a serious threat to pets, such as cats and small dogs.
The City of Burlington is responsible for taking appropriate actions to manage resident encounters with coyotes and take appropriate action on municipal property. On the rare occasion that a coyote attacks a person, the City has a Council approved protocol in place to prioritize and deal with the coyote in question.
Coyotes naturally fear humans and should remain wild animals with little human interference. They play an important role in balancing the ecosystem in southern Ontario by controlling the populations of rabbits, rats and mice.
By leaving coyotes alone in their natural habitats, we can help prevent conflict between coyotes, people and pets.
Report a coyote sighting
Your feedback helps us to monitor the location of coyotes in the community. If you see a coyote, or observe a potential problem related to an overgrown building site, garbage or someone intentionally or accidentally feeding a coyote, you can assist the city by submitting an online report.
Report a coyote sighting
If a coyote poses an immediate threat to public safety, call 9-1-1 and alert the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS).
Coyote Awareness
There are things we can all do to make sure coyotes stay wild animals and stay away from people and pets.
Stop feeding coyotes
Never feed coyotes. This includes intentionally feeding them or accidentally by leaving food waste on private or public property. Feeding coyotes teaches them to depend on human handouts and can cause them to become too familiar with humans. This can lead to aggressive behaviour near people and dogs. Hand feeding and ground feeding wildlife on private or public property is prohibited by the city’s Lot Maintenance Bylaw (49-2022) and is subject to a fine. Animal Control Officers have the discretion to issue tickets of $300 or issue a court summons with an increased fine range from $500 up to a maximum of $100,000. A summons is usually reserved for serious offenses and repeat offenders.
Make sure garbage, compost and pet food are stored in a place coyotes cannot access.
On garbage collection day, place your garbage at the curb in the morning instead of the night before.
Dealing with aggressive coyotes
Coyote sightings are common. If you see a coyote, keep your distance and the animal will most likely avoid you. If you come across an aggressive coyote:
- Stop and pick up small children and pets
- Use hazing techniques - shout loudly and wave your arms high in the air
- Back away slowly while remaining calm
- Never run or turn your back on a coyote
If you see a sick or injured coyote, please fill out this form.
If a coyote poses an immediate threat to public safety, call 9-1-1 and alert the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS).
Deterring coyotes from your property
Residential neighbourhoods are an ideal coyote habitat. Water, shelter and food sources like garbage, pet food and birdfeeders make residential areas appealing to coyotes.
By-law 49-2022 is the City’s Lot Maintenance Bylaw. A property owner is responsible to keep their lot clean and clear of debris. Residents and property owners can make sure they comply with the bylaw by ensuring their property is tidy and clear of garbage, food, brush, long grass and wood piles which are ideal den sites for coyotes or other wild animals that attract coyotes. Backyard bird feeders are exempt under the City’s Lot Maintenance Bylaw (49-2022). They must be well maintained to avoid fines.
You can make your property less inviting to coyotes by:
- Cleaning up after your dog, as coyotes are attracted to dog feces
- Use wire screening to close off spaces around and under decks and sheds . Make sure the wire screening goes at least 20 centimetres underground
- Putting up a two-metre-high fence that extends at least 20 centimetres underground
- Removing all water and food sources from your yard, including birdseed and fruit that has fallen to the ground. These foods can also attract smaller animals that in turn attract coyotes
- Removing long grass, dead brush and wood piles, as these provide potential den sites for coyotes or other wild animals that attract coyotes
- Storing garbage, compost and pet food in a place coyotes cannot access, like a garage or shed
- Using flashing lights and motion sensors
Check out this video on how to deter coyotes from your property.
Hazing coyotes
Consistent hazing will scare off coyotes by re-instilling their fear of humans. Any time you see a coyote in a residential area, use hazing techniques to scare it away, such as:
- Spraying the coyote with water from a garden hose or a water gun filled with vinegar
- Throwing small rocks, large sticks, cans and or rubber balls near the coyote
- Using air horns and whistles or banging pots
- Waving your arms and making yourself look as big as possible
- Yelling loudly
Protecting pets from coyotes
Never leave pets unattended. Coyotes can hunt cats and small dogs. They may view dogs as a threat to their territory or family. You can protect your pets by:
- Keeping your pets on a short leash when walking outdoors. Ninety-two per cent of conflict between wildlife and dogs occurs when dogs are off-leash
- Using caution on trails at dawn and dusk - this is when coyote activity is highest
- Avoiding known den sites and thick vegetation where coyotes may seek cover. This is especially important in denning season (April to June) and the dispersal period (September to October) when coyote pups are leaving the den
- Not leaving pets unattended in your backyard, especially in areas that back on to ravines or woodlots
- Keeping cats indoors
- Neutering and spaying dogs, as coyotes are attracted to and can mate with dogs that have not been spayed or neutered
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
View some of our frequently asked questions about coyotes and coyote safety.
| Can the coyote be relocated or killed? |
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No, we don't recommend relocating or killing coyotes, as it is hard to do and only a temporary solution. Removing a coyote will simply allow another one to move in in its place. Much like birds, squirrels, raccoons and other animals, coyotes have found a permanent home in urban areas. The City has a Council approved Coyote Response Strategy that includes an escalation process to deal with various levels of coyote interactions with residents and pets. In the event of a coyote attack, the City will:
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| Do coyotes attack people? |
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Coyotes are normally very wary of humans and avoid people whenever possible. Coyotes that do not show a natural fear for people may have become used to humans by someone feeding them. The City has a strategy in place to address the rare occasion when coyotes do attack people or pets and is working towards being more proactive to prevent attacks. When people feed coyotes, intentionally or unintentionally, coyotes become familiar with humans, are no longer afraid of humans and show more and more aggressive behaviour. Localized attacks can come from coyotes who have been conditioned to see humans as providing a food source. This learned behaviour creates an environment where wildlife is conditioned to be comfortable with direct human interaction and may come to depend on humans for food. If a coyote poses an immediate threat to public safety, call 9-1-1 and alert the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS).
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| Do coyotes eat cats and dogs as a food source? |
| Coyotes are omnivores. They eat small rodents as well as local vegetation, such as berries and fruits. While coyotes may not distinguish between a cat, small dog and other small animals, such as rabbits or rats, they do not hunt dogs. Usually, coyotes see dogs as potential competition for food or as a threat. |
| If I feed a coyote, will it leave my pet alone? |
| Feeding coyotes will encourage them to come back to a specific area to look for more food. Multiple studies from across North America show that feeding animals, intentionally or accidentally, creates a greater chance of conflict, such as pet and attacks on people if the coyote gets too accustomed to being around humans. |
| Is my bird feeder really going to attract coyotes? |
| Yes, bird feeders indirectly attract coyotes by attracting rodents. Rodents make up at least 75 per cent of a coyote diet. |
| Is there such a thing as a coy wolf? |
| Eastern Coyotes share remnants of DNA with wolves. Scientists estimate that the species started being cross-bred approximately 100 years ago in north western Ontario. While today's Eastern Coyote often looks wolf-like, it is much smaller than a wolf. The small amount of DNA they share with wolves does not affect their behaviour in terms of how humans can safely coexist with them. |
| Why are there coyotes in urban areas? |
| The Eastern Coyote is an extremely intelligent, family oriented and highly adaptive species. Since the 17th century, the landscape of Ontario has vastly changed, pushing out the natural species such as bears, wolves and cougars. Unlike these animals, coyotes are easily able to navigate urban landscapes. There are plenty of natural food sources, such as rodents and rabbits, in urban settings. They can also build dens in abandoned or unmaintained lots with long grass, dead brush and wood piles. |
| Why can't the City's Animal Services come and take the coyote away? |
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Our approach to coyotes in the community is to leave them alone so that they remain wild animals. The City has a strategy in place to address the rare occasion when coyotes do attack people or pets and is working towards being more proactive to prevent attacks. If a coyote poses an immediate threat to public safety, call 9-1-1 and alert the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS). |
Coyote education and awareness
We hold educational meetings to help build the community's awareness of coyotes and teach people how to avoid conflict with them.
View our past information meetings about coyotes.
March 10, 2021 – Community coyote meeting |
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In March 2021, we held a coyote information meeting to answer Burlington and Oakville residents' questions about how to safely live with coyotes. Check out the video recording of this meeting. |
June 13, 2017 – Public information meeting: Living with coyotes |
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In June 2017, we held a public information meeting about living with coyotes at Mainway Arena. After the meeting, we took action on recommendations from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. We started:
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Educational resources
Check out these resources to learn more about dealing with coyotes and other types of wildlife.
- Coyote Watch Canada is a not-for-profit organization that advocates for positive human and wildlife experiences
- Our Coyote Response Strategy, available upon request, lays out a framework for dealing with coyote conflicts
- The Ministry of Natural Resources shares tips for preventing and managing conflicts with coyotes. Please note that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) does not provide direct wildlife control, including coyote control. Municipalities are responsible for taking appropriate actions when human-wildlife encounters create ongoing conflict situations on municipal property. Municipalities can also take action on private property with the permission of the landowner.
- The Walrus has a video on coexisting with the urban coyote
- CBC Radio discusses who to call about a bear