Coyotes kill woman on hike in Canadian park

[citizen k]

Coyotes kill woman on hike in Canadian park
By ROB GILLIES, Associated Press



TORONTO – Two coyotes attacked a promising young musician as she was hiking alone in a national park in eastern Canada, and authorities said she died Wednesday of her injuries.

The victim was identified as Taylor Mitchell, 19, a singer-songwriter from Toronto who was touring to promote her new album on the East Coast.

She was hiking solo on a trail in Cape Breton Highlands National Park in Nova Scotia on Tuesday when the attack occurred. She was airlifted to a Halifax hospital in critical condition and died Wednesday morning, authorities said.

Coyotes, which also are known as prairie wolves, are found from Central America to the United States and Canada.

Wildlife biologist Bob Bancroft said coyote attacks are extremely rare because the animals are usually shy.

Bancroft, a retired biologist with Nova Scotia's Department of Natural Resources, said it's possible the coyotes thought Mitchell was a deer or other prey.

"It's very unusual and is not likely to be repeated," Bancroft said. "We shouldn't assume that coyotes are suddenly going to become the big bad wolf."

Royal Canadian Mounted Police spokeswoman Brigdit Leger said other hikers heard Mitchell's screams for help on Tuesday and called emergency police dispatchers.

Police who were in the area reached the scene quickly and shot one of the animals, apparently wounding it. But the wounded animal and a companion coyote managed to get away.

Paul Maynard of Emergency Health Services said Mitchell already was in critical condition when paramedics arrived on the scene and had multiple bite wounds over her entire body.

"She was losing a considerable amount of blood from the wounds," he said.

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

"There's been some reports of aggressive animals, so it's not unknown," said Helene Robichaud, the park's superintendent. "But we certainly never have had anything so dramatic and tragic."

Mitchell was an up-and-coming folk and country musician who was nominated for a 2009 Canadian Folk Music Award in the Young Performer of the Year category.

"Words can't begin to express the sadness and tragedy of losing such a sweet, compassionate, vibrant, and phenomenally talented young woman," Lisa Weitz, Mitchell's manager, said in an e-mail. "She just turned 19 two months ago, and was so excited about the future."

[Jaron]

How strange. I've run into coyotes before while traversing the wilds of California but they flee in terror of me as those mongrels beasts ought to.

[Eddie Teach]

I've run into coyotes before while traversing the wilds of California

[The Brain]

Dances With Fries doesn't lie.

[Slargos]

I was going to quip that even the Coyotes are tired of the whole singer-songwriter genre, but my conscience got the better of me.

[Caliga]

There are plenty of coyotes around here.  I've seen one in my backyard and I often hear them singing when I take my dog out to pee in the early morning.

[CountDeMoney]

Hey, they gotta eat, too.

[grumbler]

If the woman had used those sharp elbows to defend herself, she might be alive today. 

[Grey Fox]

See what happens to super skinny girls. They get eaten by Coyotes.

[Eddie Teach]

If the woman had used those sharp elbows to defend herself, she might be alive today. 

I'm thinking the guitar would be more effective.

[Slargos]

See what happens to super skinny girls. They get eaten by Coyotes.

The great irony in this case is that while the anorexia which made sure she wouldn't get her period and thus not attract bears, the same made her too weak to fend off the coyotes. 

[Grey Fox]

Also, since she was from Toronto, it might just be trained Coyotes making sure no Torontonians returns to soil the lands of Nova Scotia.

[Darth Wagtaros]

I hear them at night.  They infest this area.  One day they will rise up and displace humanity here the way the Jarons are doing in Cali.

[Eddie Teach]

Coyotes in urban areas is believable. Jaron in the wilderness is not. 

[Caliga]

Yeah, I remember reading an article a few years back that coyotes had returned to Mass., but I never saw or heard one there.  They're all over the place here, though.  I suspect they have something to do with the recent unexplained disappearance of the local semi-feral cats Meow Machine and MeanCat.