Coyotes Attack and Kill: Should You Worry?

The fatal mauling of a young Canadian woman by coyotes in Nova Scotia this week has surprised wildlife lovers across North America.

Taylor Mitchell, 19, who was attacked and killed by two coyotes, is shown in an undated promotional...

Taylor Mitchell, 19, who was attacked and killed by two coyotes, is shown in an undated promotional photo. Two coyotes attacked the Canadian woman while she was hiking in a national park in eastern Canada, and authorities said she died Wednesday of her injuries.

(AP Photo/Getty Images)

While biologists say such attacks are extremely rare, the incident points to another phenomenon: the recent, rapid proliferation of the dog-like predators in cities as well as expanses of wilderness.

"Coyotes have become the most abundant large predatory animal on the continent," says Ralph Maughan, who operates a popular wildlife blog that tracks human-wildlife encounters.

"Incidents like this are uncommon but bound to happen, when you consider there are millions of coyotes, some of them living in the middle of populated areas," he adds. "It isn't, however, reason for alarm."

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Until the end of the 19th century, taxonomists classified coyotes largely as creatures of the U.S. and Canadian West. However, the near-elimination of their natural mortal enemy, the wolf, and the species' incredible ability to adapt to changing environments led them to find new niches in the middle of sprawling civilization.

Today, their range extends from the boreal forests of the north to the deserts of Mexico, from downtown Los Angeles to golf courses and parks inside New York City.

Scrutiny of the attack in Canada is heightened because it occurred in a popular nature preserve and involved a woman who was hiking alone.

Taylor Mitchell, a 19-year-old professional folk singer from Toronto, was walking the Skyline Trail in Cape Breton Highlands National Park Tuesday when two coyotes attacked. She died the next day.

One prominent Canadian biologist, Valerius Geist, has asserted again this week that humans being more tolerant of wild animals in areas frequented by people is a mistake. He says it is only allowing predatory species to become more emboldened and, in some instances, view humans as possible prey.

Geist has his share of scientific critics. Jon Way, who has been studying 50 coyotes on Cape Cod in Massachusetts including animals living in the middle of dense human neighborhoods, says the concern is overblown.