The City of Airdrie is in discussions with Alberta Fish & Wildlife after two children were bit by a coyote in Nose Creek Park in the span of a week.
“It’s a concern,” said Lorne Stevens, City of Airdrie’s director of community infrastructure. “The (Festival of Lights) draws a number of families and small children and folks walking their dogs. Nose Creek Park is a central park in our community and the pathways lead into here.”
“We want to make sure that visitors to Airdrie that come out to the festival, as well as our residents, are safe and protected from attacks.”
The incidents both occurred at around 9:00 p.m. at the conclusion of the evening’s Festival of Lights event in the park.
On Monday, a coyote approached and bit a young boy in the neck minutes after the festival closed for the night. The child was not seriously harmed as his winter clothing provided a barrier to the attack. A staff member armed with a paintball gun was able to tag the offending animal with a paint mark. “We do believe that coyote is marked and will assist us in identifying that animal should it return.”
The attack came mere days after a child was bit in the leg by a coyote in Nose Creek Park on Friday, December 14. The child’s winter attire was also credited for preventing injury.
“We’ve been taking measures over the past couple of weeks and have escalated those in response to those incidents," said Stevens. "I understand the incidents did not result in serious injury but regardless of that we’re quite concerned."
It is not known if the same coyote is responsible for both attacks.
According to the City of Airdrie, hazing methods have been attempted in recent months in an effort to instill fear of humans in the coyotes. Workers have fired guns, spread bear urine and baited live traps after several encounters between wild animals and pets.
As the attacks have escalated to human targets, the City has increased patrols of the park, erected warning signs, and opened discussions with Alberta Fish & Wildlife on whether the coyotes should be destroyed.
For the remainder of this year’s Festival of Lights, staff members will remain in the park each night until all guests have left the premises.
With files from CTV's Alesia Fieldberg
