Editor:
Re: “COS investigating fed coyote on Thormanby,” July 23.
I find it interesting, and a little disturbing, to find so much media attention lately about coyote encounters.
I am a resident on Thormanby Island and have noticed the change in behaviour of the coyotes solely because of the actions of one irresponsible human on North Thormanby who has purposefully fed the coyotes dog food.
In my lifetime, I have been bitten probably a dozen times, aggressively attacked and witnessed thousands of incidents involving domestic dogs and people, pets and wildlife. Every day there are reports of vicious dog attacks and recently a little child having its face ripped off by a domestic dog.
Yet when a couple of coyotes who have been habituated by humans show a change in behaviour without any aggressive encounters and that makes headlines, it shocks me.
Through social media, I have heard posts from some people on North Thormanby wishing to cull the whole population of coyotes because they are afraid there might be some encounters, such as their “pug” being attacked by a coyote.
If we were to cull a population of coyotes because of a possible threat, shouldn’t we also cull all domestic dogs that are proven aggressors?
Sometimes I find it hard to admit to being human.
Fraser Exel, Thormanby Island