Canadian folk singer killed by coyotes

[fguffey]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-st...attacked-on-remote-solo-walk-115875-21784075/

Singer killed by coyotes: Teenager folk star Taylor Mitchell attacked on remote solo walk
By Tom Pettifor 30/10/2009

A teenager has died after she was attacked by two coyotes while hiking alone in a national park.

Other hikers raised the alarm after hearing the terrified screams of 19-year-old folk singer Taylor Mitchell.

Police arrived to find the coyotes still attacking Taylor, who had suffered multiple bite wounds over her entire body.

Officers shot one coyote but only wounded it. It slunk away with its partner.

Taylor was already in a critical condition when she was airlifted from Canada's Cape Breton Highlands National Park in Nova Scotia to hospital.

A spokesman said: "She was losing a considerable amount of blood from the wounds." Taylor, a singer songwriter from Toronto, died on Wednesday hours after the attack.

Experts yesterday said it is extremely rare for coyotes to attack humans - and believe the animals may have mistook her for a deer or other prey.

Biologist Bob Bancroft, from Nova Scotia's Department of Natural Resources, said: "It's very unusual and is not likely to be repeated. We shouldn't assume that coyotes are suddenly going to become the big bad wolf."

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Police spokeswoman Brigdit Leger said: "Coyotes are normally afraid of humans. This is a very irregular occurrence."

An official with Parks Canada said they blocked the entrance to the trail where Taylor was attacked and were trying to find the animals to determine what caused such an unusual attack.

Park superintendent Helene Robichaud said: "There's been some reports of aggressive animals, so it's not unknown.

"But we certainly have never had anything so dramatic and tragic."
/SNIP/

F. Guffey

 

[Wilson2]

This is a very sad story for sure.

The lack of similar attacks makes it clear how rare this is.

I'll be curious to see if the authorities find anything at all to explain the attack other than it just being a one-time (let's hope so) incident.

 

[walker944]

I would hope this tragic event would open the eyes of unconcerned lawmakers that there truely might be a legitimate need for a hiker to carry personal protection (read: handgun) in the wild.

 

[Cougfan2]

I would hope this tragic event would open the eyes of unconcerned lawmakers that there truely might be a legitimate need for a hiker to carry personal protection (read: handgun) in the wild.

In Canada? Good luck.

 

[Corporal K]

Other hikers raised the alarm after hearing the terrified screams of 19-year-old folk singer Taylor Mitchell.

How heroic

 

[Slamfire]

Predators were eliminated from the woods by our fore fathers. Greenies decided to bring back the cute Wolves and Coyotes.

Now they are back.

Shame a young woman has to die a horrific death.

There will be more.

 

[Cosmoline]

Nobody ever eliminated the coyotes. They've actually been able to expand their range with the elimination of wolf populations.

 

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

I guess I never even considered a coyote capable of taking an adult human---wolf yes--but coyote??

Did she even have a hiking stick??


Coyotes around here are still shot on sight--open season year round--no hunting permit or habitat stamp needed.

 

[Ben86]

Is this the first recorded coyote related fatality? I could be wrong, but I don't believe there was one previously. This tragic event highlights not only the need for better coyote population control, but also the lawful carrying of firearms in public parks and forests.

 

[Tedster]

My whole life, the "experts" have reported how rare it is for ______ to attack humans. That notion is getting a bit long in the tooth by now. The only reason ______ attacks are "rare" is because most of the wild critters other than squirrels and rabbits were extirpated a long time ago, and for good reason in many cases. It's only been in recent decades that some of these predators have made a comeback, population wise. Yeah, yotes never went anywhere, but Deer are a lot more numerous in the midwest than they used to be too, a lagging indicator for predators like Coyote. Their population will increase just because of all that venison on the hoof.

It's good that our society is wealthy enough to maintain wild areas for habitat and recreation, but nobody should try and kid themselves that they themselves aren't part of the food chain. What a tragedy. I would think even if firearms are prohibited (no comment) at least a can of bear spray or mace might come in handy against yotes. Wild or feral dogs are about as bad, I reckon. Maybe worse?

 

[sidheshooter]

Tragic and odd. I'd also vote for feral dogs being a whole lot more likely to attack humans than coyotes. Bizarre.

Top of the food chain with tools. No tools, no rules.

 

[CoRoMo]

Why is this in S&T?

I guess my strategy, in the USA, is to always hike with hardware. And since I most always have a Colorado small game license, I put holes in all the coyotes I see on my hikes.

 

[Shadow 7D]

An interesting question is how or did she try to defend herself, a healthy adult should't be prey to a pair of scroungy little muts, I've been stalked by coyotes in the woods of Oregon and never really had a problem, just had to remember that you are attacked from the back first and if you see one, probably three more are sneaking up behind you.

However I don't think I ever saw a coyote over 30-40 lb, 20 being more like it.

 

[21bubba]

And this is on here why?

 

[sfc_mark]

My whole life, the "experts" have reported how rare it is for ______ to attack humans. That notion is getting a bit long in the tooth by now.

This is true. IIRC, the first-ever documented fatal black bear attack occurred just a few years ago. Coyotes are extending their range into unheard of areas now. The first coyote in the five boroughs in over 100 years was spotted in Central Park a couple of years ago, but there have been more since. Coyote attacks on humans have been on the rise in the past few years, though this is the first time I have heard of a fatal one.

As far as S&T, this shows why one should not venture into the wild unarmed and unprepared.

Relatively small wild animals have far more power than we tend to assume based on size alone. I had this point illustrated dramatically a couple of years ago when I got spurred in the side of the kneecap by a rooster, through two layers of heavy denim. I could hardly walk for 20 minutes or so, and my knee was swollen/sore for about two weeks afterward.

 

[sojournerhome]

I was wondering what the other hikers did as well.
Like maybe get sticks and rocks and at least throw them at the mean dogs....

Jump up and down screaming.

Or just cringe in fear hoping they don't come for you next.

 

[Vicious-Peanut]

Tragic. I however am not one who feels that every bear, wolf, coyote, and mountain should be hunted down and killed because they can do something bad. I would rather have all of them, and get to see them in the wild. People should be taught how to deal with that sort of situation, and most importantly be prepared.

 

[Fred Fuller]

And this is on here why?

Because some of the animals we have to defend ourselves from are four legged and not trying to take just our wallets. If it shouldn't be here in S&T, someone would move it, don't worry.

lpl

 

[Zoogster]

and believe the animals may have mistook her for a deer or other prey.

What is with that politically correct animal BS?
They mistook someone walking on two legs for a deer, then continued to attack them long after they were clearly not a deer? While they fought them off with arms, making sounds very unlike a deer, smelling and tasting very unlike a deer to an animal with an excellent sense of smell?
I am sure they thought she was a deer, or other animal prey.
They attack what they do not feel is a threat to them, and what can be eaten without suffering wounds that would prevent them from hunting in the future.
Whether it is a small pet or a human baby. They just don't attack people often because they look large on two legs and clearly carry items and other things that make them scary and foreign to a wild animal.

It reminds me of the BS about a great white that mistook someone for regular prey, yet still returns several minutes later to finish eating them if they are still in the water. Uh no, they did not mistake them, that is how they kill large or dangerous prey, then let it weaken from blood loss before coming and eating it once it poses little danger of resisting. They eat large dangerous marine mammals like elephant seals the same way. They deliver a massive fatal bite, then swim away and let the animal weaken from blood loss before coming back to eat the weakened animal.
They don't want to get hurt, its not because after taking a bite they realize its not thier normal prey and swim off. They do the same thing with elephant seals or anything else they feel might hurt them if they just keep eating it while it is alive.
Humans are normally just removed from the water before they can return to resume eating the weakened individual. So morons can claim "after a taste bite it left realizing it was not its normal prey". Then why do they finish eating people that are still in the water many minutes later and not rescued by other swimmers?


A couple hungry predators saw her as not being a threat for whatever reason and were simply a little more bold than normal. They didn't think she was a deer or some other animal, give me a break.

Predators serve a necessary role in a wild environment. They are necessary for healthy prey population free from disease, defects and overpopulation. Yet these fake excuses to avoid backlash against them when they attack a person are ridiculous.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

The lack of similar attacks makes it clear how rare this is.

Coyote attacks aren't that rare. They don't make the news so much as with bear and mountain lion attacks, but are comparable or more numerous than mountain lion attacks...
http://www.varmintal.com/attac.htm
http://tchester.org/sgm/lists/coyote_attacks.html

 

[SSN Vet]

I don't understand how they "know" it was only two....

If they were there to count, they could have helped.....

Just because someone saw two, doesn't mean there weren't more that they didn't see.... they are pack animals after all.

I have a coworker who is an avid hunter and surveys his favorite secluded stretch of woods year round with one of these tree mounted game cameras....

yotes, bobcat, lots of deer, black bear, turkey.... he brings in a new batch of pics every other week or so....

the camera is amazing... it requires heat and motion to set it off....

In one shot, he challenged me to see the "subject". It sure looked like a misfire, untill he pointed out the mouse!

Last summer he was hiking out to his car at dusk, after downloading his camera pics, and hears a coyote.... then another... then another....

B4 long, he's hearing some dozen or more yotes, all around him!

talk about the heebee jeebees

He managed to scramble out unscathed, but after that experience, he NEVER goes in the woods unarmed.

 

[tavernius]

There was a little kid killed by coyotes years ago, i think it was in SoCal. After the kid was killed, the city coucil had a public meeting to discuss culling the local coyote population. At the meeting, some b-list actress/animal rights activist implied the little girl was beaten to death by her parents, the whole thing was staged, and the poor coyotes were innocent.
Makes you sick, huh?

 

[Bailey Boat]

"An official with Parks Canada said they blocked the entrance to the trail where Taylor was attacked and were trying to find the animals to determine what caused such an unusual attack."

Say what????? I guess they thing the yotes are only on that ONE trail and that if they find them they can sit down and do an interview!!!!!! I wonder if yotes have the right to remain silent????? Maybe legal representation?????

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Experts yesterday said it is extremely rare for coyotes to attack humans - and believe the animals may have mistook her for a deer or other prey.

I highly doubt the coyotes mistook the victim for a deer or any other animal other than a human. They simply took her for what she was to them, a poorly protected (no claws, not big teeth, not great in size, lots of thin flesh), slow moving food source. Let's face it. Without cultural adaptation through things like weapons, humans are one of the wimpiest large terrestrial mammals around. We are fairly easy prey. Animals don't fear humans as much as they fear human culture.

 

[Bullybrdr]

I agree with CoRoMo. Coyotes are like cockroaches, for every one that you see, there are at least a dozen that you don't see.Shoot on sight, and to hell with PETA and their ilk. In my general area, there have been numerous incidents of family pets and livestock being killed by coyotes and of people being bitten by a coyote that they surprised when they walked outside in the evening to go to their car and having to undergo painful rabies shots, just in case. And here is the kicker, I live in N.C....who would have thought this possible just a few years ago?