City sign about 'coyote neighbours' dogged by critics

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A Toronto lawyer calls it “absurd.”

April Engelberg recently posted a photo to her X account of a City of Toronto city sign in Stanley Park — the coyote “hot spot” of the Liberty Village-Fort York area — that says: ”I am your coyote neighbour.”

It also includes some facts about the predators, which have attacked dogs in the past.

“This is absurd,” posted Engelberg, who ran unsuccessfully as a Liberal candidate in Spadina-Fort York in February’s provincial election.

“Coyotes killed five local dogs and injured several people. We don’t want to meet our coyote neighbour. We want the city and province to remove the coyotes from the neighbourhood.”

In response, city officials said the signs — of which there are 50 — are part of their coyote strategy and that only two dogs have been killed by the wild animals.

A media relations spokesperson referred to a recent city report, highlighting actions that have been taken, including hiring a third-party expert panel which recommended such measures as setting up a specialized team to assess coyotes in the area, enforcing bylaws that ban feeding wildlife, and increasing public education about not providing food to the omnivores.

The city’s development of a Downtown Coyote Action Plan will also be discussed by the economic and community development committee on May 6.

However, many took to social media to express outrage over the signs.

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“Cull. The. Coyotes,” wrote @craig_d99.

“This city is so embarrassing: coyotes need access to housing and free crack pipes,” added @MaxDemian36.

Others, however, sympathized with the coyotes.

“They were here first. If you don’t like it, move.” countered @HalakItLikeThat.

Added @RaptorsShaq: “Our urban sprawl displaced them, their crime is being a wild animal with nowhere better to go.”