Coyote concerns: Calgarian attacked as neighbours complain of an animal problem

CALGARY -

A Calgary woman spent Friday night in hospital after an encounter with an urban coyote -- and she's not the first to complain of an animal issue in the northwest.

Nicole Au was attacked by a coyote while playing with her two daughters in their Nolan Hill driveway.

It was all captured on the family's security camera.

"I felt something grab my leg and I didn't know what it was," Au told CTV News. "It just started jerking and tugging really hard. Like it was trying to pull me off my child."

The incident only lasted a couple of seconds, but it left Au with a cut-up thigh and ripped leggings.

She had to spend Friday night receiving medical treatment and tetanus and rabies immunizations.

She says it's left her shaken: mainly because her incident isn't an isolated one.

"We always see them," Au said. "Coyotes on this street. Sightings in the road. Sightings on the ravine. In my backyard."

Another woman in the area was attacked while out gardening last week.

A man living nearby had a stare-down on Saturday.

Residents of the neighbourhood say everyone in Nolan Hill has a story.

"They wander around in the broad daylight, in the early evening, late evening, middle of the night," resident Rick Gold said. "It's getting quite unsafe just to let the kids out to play."

The community is located on the city's outskirts.

The coyotes are likely wandering in to the area from nearby rural habitats and a commonly-used ravine.

Residents say they understand the issue.

But as the coyotes demonstrate more casual behaviour around humans, Gold says change is needed.

He claims dozens of his neighbours have already approached the city.

"They keep saying they're sending people out to deal with it, and we haven't seen anyone," Gold said. "Yet we still see the animals coming out too close."

A city spokesperson tells CTV News that the situation is being monitored.

"The City takes measures to keep citizens safe and will act if we encounter an aggressive coyote," Vanessa Farrelly wrote. "One method we use is hazing, which is a series of steps using noise and projectiles to reintroduce a coyote’s natural fear of humans."

The city also sent a list of tips for anyone who may encounter a coyote.

An expert says to maintain eye contact, make a lot of noise and to back away slowly. They also remind residents to keep their pets on-leash outside of marked zones.