While biking through Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Ontario camper Alex Radu said a short nighttime stop near the MacIntosh Brook campsite suddenly turned frightening when a coyote came out of nowhere, snapped at him, and bit his leg.
Here's what to know
Radu said he reacted by trying to look bigger, stomping, and yelling, which are the usual tactics people are told to use. He said he had been outside at MacIntosh Brook looking at the moon in the dark when the coyote rushed toward him, and those efforts did not stop it from coming back, CBC News reported.
When the coyote refused to back down, Radu decided to run for shelter, "which I know is what you're not supposed to do, but at that point, it didn't feel like I had many other options left," he explained.
After making it to a nearby building about 50 yards away and getting inside, Radu realized his pant leg had been ripped and that he had been bitten on the leg.
Radu said the injuries were minor but bleeding. He received treatment at a nearby health center, where staff cleaned the wound, bandaged it, and gave him a first rabies shot as a precaution. Radu told CBC News that the encounter lasted only about 15 seconds and did not overshadow what he otherwise described as a peaceful trip along the Cabot Trail.
Parks Canada said staff put down a coyote in the MacIntosh Brook area, though it remains unclear whether it was the same animal involved in the attack. In an email to CBC News, the agency said the coyote had "repeatedly approached patrolling staff, indicating a loss of natural fear toward humans and behaviour consistent with food conditioning."
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The agency's description points to how human behavior can contribute to these encounters. When wild animals get used to people or begin associating them with food, dangerous interactions can become more likely.
More background
Radu said the lack of light made it hard to fully understand what was happening as the encounter unfolded. "I felt a lot of fear. I felt I was flooded with adrenaline and I was just playing out all the different ways this could potentially go in my head as I was doing it," he told CBC News.
Radu said he had mixed feelings about the coyote being euthanized. "I don't think [park staff] had much of a choice but to euthanize it, to kill it. But at the same time, there's a part of me that feels some compassion for the coyote and that if it was fed and had interactions with humans, in some ways that wasn't really its fault," Radu said.
Parts of the park near MacIntosh Brook, Lone Shieling, and nearby look-offs were closed while staff continued patrols, affecting access during what Allison Moody, an ecologist with Parks Canada, said is nearing peak leaf season, per CBC News.
What can be done?
Moody said people should keep facing an aggressive coyote and back away slowly if the animal does not retreat after noise and other deterrents. "And then try and get into the shelter, into a car, into a vehicle, something like that where you can get away from the animal," Moody said, adding that visitors should report encounters to park staff.
Moody also said bear spray can help if someone knows how to use it safely, while walking sticks may help people keep more distance from a coyote. She cautioned, however, that spray has limits. "You have to be a little bit careful with bear spray. The animals might need to be a lot closer to you than you really would like. And you have to be really aware of the wind," she said.
Parks Canada is continuing patrols and keeping some areas closed. The agency's reference to "food conditioning" points to the risk of feeding wildlife or leaving animals with easy access to human food, which can create consequences for both people and the animals themselves.
Radu said the bite was only one part of a trip that still included memorable moments. "This whole trip was not just that one incident. There were a lot of really cool experiences and a lot of beautiful moments outside of this over the course of the week I spent there."
Where can I learn more?
Recent coyote encounters in Canada and the United States show how quickly things can escalate when animals lose their fear of people.
• In Ottawa, a teen attacked by three coyotes escaped by climbing onto a rock.
• Near Toronto, police searched for a coyote after a child was bitten in the head.
• In North Carolina, a man survived a near-fatal encounter after a coyote attack.
• Near a Dallas trail, a coyote chased two children and renewed local concern.
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