CFN– It seems that 2012 will go down as the Year of the Varmint for the Bob Kilger government in Cornwall Ontario.
Geese, Beavers, Pigeons and now Coyotes have stirred council and the public.
Lesley Fox wrote the following letter to the government of Cornwall after the city decided to start trapping Wiley’s local cousins.
Dear Mayor Kilger and Councillors of Cornwall,
It has come to our attention that council has approved the use of lethal traps to kill coyotes living in Eamers Corners and is currently waiting on approval from the Ministry of Natural Resources. Please know we are in the process of contacting the Ministry, encouraging them to deny Cornwall a permit.
Your desire to trap and kill coyotes comes to us as a complete shock as just this past summer our organization worked with your community to end 25 years of lethal trapping in Guidon Park by installing flow devices to manage beaver activity. This project came at NO EXPENSE to Cornwall, it was funded completely by us. We are truly disappointed that after such a positive experience with the city of Cornwall, that council would simply turn around and approve the use of trapping for another fur-bearing animal. Has the city not learned anything from all the work we did to co-exist with the beavers?
Not only is the killing of coyotes completely unnecessary and reckless, it brings cruel and dangerous traps closer than ever to residents and their pets. I can assure you that leg-hold, Conibear and snare traps are much more dangerous to local pets and children than coyotes. I encourage you to see for yourself how many dogs/cats were killed from “trapping accidents” in Canada this year alone – http://www.furbearerdefenders.
com/campaigns/trapping?id=115 If you would like, I can put you directly in touch with several pet owners who lost their animals because of lethal trapping.
Non-lethal alternatives work
Rather than supporting the killing of coyotes, we encourage Cornwall to adopt an education program for residents modeled after other cities who peacefully co-exist with urban coyotes including Vancouver.
We also encourage local residents to use hazing techniques. This includes activities that humanely make coyotes more afraid of people, recharging their natural fear. (ie. bang pots and pans, throw balls, spray coyotes with a garden hose, wave arms and act aggressively.) Coyote hazing changes coyote behavior.
To support council, our organization will partner with Canada’s leading coyote field expert, Lesley Sampson of Coyote Watch Canada and will help you create programs to address the concerns that residents have over coyotes. Killing is not the answer. Unless council works to control and eliminate the direct/indirect feeding of coyotes, you will always have a problem. After you kill these coyotes, more animals will simply return to the area and the cycle of violence and killing will continue – all the while you’ll be wasting local tax dollars.
In an effort to preserve our local environment and to protect citizens from the inherent dangerous of lethal trapping, will council work with us to first try non-lethal options?
I look forward to your reply.
Lesley Fox
Executive Director
The Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals
179 W. Broadway
Vancouver, BC
V5Y 1P4
Tel: 604-435-1850
Cell: 778-892-5369
You can also follow us at:
I asked Ms Fox a few questions today after receiving her letter.
CFN
What triggered your reaction?
LESLEY FOX
Since 1944, The Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals has been exposing trapping cruelty. Lethal traps, whether used for beavers or other animals like coyotes, cause intense suffering. Animals will break teeth and bones trying to escape. Coyotes in particular are capable of ‘wringing-off’ their own limbs to escape. Trapping is cruel, unnecessary and does nothing to address issues related to urban wildlife. Like it or not, coyotes are hear to stay, and the citizens of Cornwall are going to have to deal with their presence.
CFN
Aren’t coyotes different than beavers?
LESLEY FOX
Beavers, coyotes, bears, lynx, cats and dogs – all animals suffer and die just the same. Furthermore, traps are dangerous. Period. No matter where they are set, traps are indiscriminate nasty devices that have the potential to kill anything that hits the trigger. Birds, dogs, cats, pets – even children and endangered species – have been caught in traps intended for some other animal. With so many available alternatives, council has so many other choices and needs to make an effort to co-exist with wildlife. Unless we get to the root of the problem ie. “what is bringing coyotes in close contact with people” Cornwall will always going to have a problem. It’s my guess that coyotes living in Eamers Corners are being fed, whether directly or indirectly. If you can control and eliminate this food source, coyotes will relocate themselves naturally. Traps such as legholds, Conibears and snares by the way is FAR more dangerous than the coyotes themselves. Council has choices and this desire to kill every living being – whether beavers or coyotes – has got to stop. Cornwall council needs an attitude adjustment and some education in how to co-exist with wildlife.
CFN
Why does government favour trapping?
LESLEY FOX
The Ministry of Natural Resources (on their website) actually states that trapping should be a LAST RESORT. Our organization, along with Coyote Watch Canada, are prepared to offer help and expertise (once again) to Cornwall. The fact that municipalities are so quick to trap and kill wildlife is because they don’t understand these animals, their biology or behavior. Calling up a trapper is a short-term lazy way to appease people who are outraged over the seeing coyotes in their neighborhood But this is the wrong approach. We need our government to show tolerance and patience and promote the idea of living with wildlife. Also, while we are sympathetic to any pet owner who has lost their friend to a coyote (which can happen) killing coyotes does nothing to solve the problem. There are several studies that show without a doubt that trapping and killing coyotes does not reduce their population or eliminate their presence. More animals simply return to the area to fill in the open niche. Rather than wasting tax dollars trying to kill anything that moves, residents in Cornwall can change their behavior and how they react when they see animals like coyotes in their neighborhood Coyotes are naturally shy animals who scare easily. They exist in almost every city across Canada and adapt quite well to urban environments. We need to learn to live with them.
Well world; what do you think? Should the Coyotes get the chop and is Cornwall doing right by trapping or should they get a reprieve?
You can post your comments below.
Cornwall council sure has a knee jerk killer instinct, I live near Eamers Corners & have never seen a coyote, but if they are causing harm,relocate them humanely where children & pets will not be caught in those agonizing cruel traps,you are offering great tips & advice that should be looked at first, I would never be a party to this cruelty.
NO TRAPPING!!!!
First of all this is animal cruelty & a danger to ALL(human,pets & wildlife) of us living & playing in Eamer’s Corner’s.
Did WE not learn from the beaver incident at Guidon Park?????
What next, squirrels?
typical animal worshiper! Next they will be using our children for bait – can’t let these poor animals go hungry.
Was it the same animal lovers who let loose the fishers in this area? When I lived in Avonmore, all my chickens were wiped out by these nasty animals. A fisher even attacked one over in Alexandra area, and now they want us to co-exist and to be educated about coyotes?
Children or animal? i chose children.KILLING IN THIS instant is surely necessary
I DO NOT AGREE WITH KILLING!!! They need to be humanely caught and relocated. Kill happy City Council obviously did not learn their lesson. What kind of people are we? Yes, I certainly understand the fear of the residents for their children but we still need to treat life with respect and at least try to give every animal a chance before resorting to such drastic measures.
luckyred – Canada has a big head start on you. It is called abortion! “humanely caught and relocated” – why not try that for the unborn?
NO TO KILLING! These traps don’t care whether it is an animal or a child or an adult that happens to trigger the trap. It will injure or kill whatever comes in its path.
If you think people are scared to send their kids out to play because of the coyotes, they best be even more concerned about sending them out to play if they put out traps. It’ll more than likely get your child before it gets the coyotes.
In the area I live, I’ve heard the coyotes at night for years and have yet to even see one, they are more scared of us than we are of them.
@ Pastor, what kind of preacher condones killing??
Many years ago, then Alberta Premier Ralph Klein said to “shoot, shovel and shut up!” That had to do with mad cow disease. Every day and in every province in Canada, hundreds of animals that includes cattle, hogs and poultry go to the abattoir where they are put down (humanely . . . by humans) and prepared for the supermarkets.
Many people in this area own rifles and have hunting licences. Most hunters put down wild animals humanely. They could do likewise with pesky coyote. The only reason they’re showing up within Cornwall city limits is that the neighbours in the countryside are not shooting enough of them.
If there’s a pesky coyote in the back yard, it could threaten the kiddies. A well-aimed shot by an experienced hunter could solve the coyote problem . . . then do as premier Klein advised.
beyond the emotional side of killing these animals, I believe there’s some evidence to suggest that when you take a population down all at once, you have the corollary effect of actually increasing the number of individuals as females go into hyper estrus. the result of more food availability for new pups…rather like the urban feral cat issue where the best strategy has been to spay and neuter, but return the animals to their territories. maybe if the coyote population is left for a couple of cycles (season), it’ll balance out on the level of predator prey cycles
however, if I were a farmer and my sheep were being dragged off by coyotes, I’d shoot indiscriminately and not tell anybody about it
As a concerned citizen of Ontario I feel the need to write to Cornwall on an important matter regarding Coyotes in your community. I have read your articles and viewed your petition of 40 signatures of a neighborhood in fear. From the 10 or so households that signed on one street, it is mind boggling to comprehend why the family of Coyotes keep returning to the same spot. I can tell you from my own experience and fieldwork with Coyote Watch Canada the trouble lies within the community of Patrick St. A thorough investigation of intentional or non intentional feeding should be conducted, as well as keeping small animals such as cats indoors and dogs on leashes. I would also like to mention keeping lids on garbage pails will serve your community well. Coyotes live in family groups and defend territory.When elimination takes place it makes room for another family pack to move in. Therefore the trend will continue unless the community is willing to bond together with helpful resources that will be sent. Killing and trapping in a neighborhood with children and pets serves more danger then the Coyotes themselves. I urge council to rethink this decision and live in a compassionate caring community with Coyotes and wildlife alike. Thank-you for taking the time to read this.
The first priority is not how do we get along with coyotes, but how do we protect human life, and property. Since creation and after the flood, mankind has the right to subdue the animal population for its own good. Yes, this includes wise stewardship, but since natural predators of the coyotes have been removed from our area, it is up to us to trap, kill, and remove this threat.
God’s mandate is still enforced -Gen 9:2,3 “And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things”.
So it is not co-existence, it is remove the coyotes before they harm our domestic animals, and children.
First of all Pastor, I am abhorred that you would use the Bible to justify killing one of God’s creatures. If you are a true Christian, you know that God has placed the coyotes there for a reason.
ON a more scientific note…the trapping and killing of coyotes INCREASES coyote population and incursions over time..it does not decrease it.
Trapping will put you at a much greater risk than using a co-existence approach.
Coyotes do not target children and absolutely do not prefer to predate on pets. Farmers who irresponsibly do not use proper enclosures will lose livestock to any of a variety of predators including hawks, owls and feral animals.
In nearly EVERY SINGLE case of incursion, it has been found that people were feeding the coyotes whether intentionally or unintentionally.
There are a myriad of studies that show conclusively trapping is a fools errand. It is simply an exercise to appease people who fear what they do not understand.
It seems that trapping is really good for…trappers….
When will we as humans ever learn to co-exist? These animals were here long before us and have every right to continue living.
The welfare of small pets is the owners responsibility. These coyotes have lived in the area in question for as long as it’s been home to humans……….
How dare we exterminate them to prevent a domestic pet from being possibly taken. This is wrong on so many levels.
Then of course we have the “well it could be a child next” fear mongering. Yes, it is feasible one day, a child could be bitten. Domestic dogs bite children every single day, do we feel the need to exterminate every domestic dog we see?
Please, have some compassion for the poor souls just trying to survive through more and more habitat destruction. They can be driven away if humans stop making their neighbourhoods so attractive to them……….and please, don’t spout bible passages to justify killing, it’s sickening
Well said Lori, it’s time we stop thinking all the world’s natural predators must die.
This “get them before they get you ” attitude is crazy and has to stop.
Adopt hazing techniques, Coyote Watch Canada is there to educate and assist, why are the experts not being asked to help before we go guns ablazing????
And thanks Pastor for affirming why I’m Agnostic……..
What a well expressed letter. For too long now people have been using these barbaric traps. We would never let our pets suffer in such a way without charges of animal cruelty being laid against the perpetrators. Why do so many people not understand that all animals feel the pain and stress of traps. We are supposed to be the smart, thinking beings, surely we can come up with better solutions (like hazing and eliminating food sources) than killing these animals.
Rick writes -“First of all Pastor, I am abhorred that you would use the Bible to justify killing one of God’s creatures. If you are a true Christian, you know that God has placed the coyotes there for a reason”.
So what about the unborn in Canada-“Examining the number of abortions over the last ten years, for which statistics are available, reveals a relatively steady trend: the number of abortions from 1994 to 2005 was consistently around 100,000 per year, the highest being 111,709 in 19971 and the lowest being 96,815 in 2005”.
I guess the unborn are not one of God’s creature, and are here for no reason, but to murder them! God abhors the murder innocent babies. Not only does He abhor it, He sends His just wrath upon such murders. Judgment Day will pay back day for many!
Removing these coyotes (via cruel trapping) will create a vacuum which will result in even more coyotes. That is how coyote dynamics work and nothing will change it. It is what it is. Why not allow the good, knowledgeable people who have offered to help the Cornwall community a chance to educate and alleviate the perceived “problem” in a humane and effective way?
I have a couple of suggestions to offer. First, perhaps a volunteer would be willing to use a search engine to investigate a few proven, SCIENCE-based articles on coyotes. The fear and fear-mongering helps no one, but a little education will empower all of you to deal with the issue in an informed, non-lethal way. The selected volunteer, of course, would be willing to meet with and share the information with residents, the Mayor and Councillors who in turn can then make an intelligent decision based on sound,factual information which many municipalities have already successfully implemented. Also, money will be saved. Clearly, there is so much unnecessary fear going on in Cornwall which is most unfortunate.
To the good Pastor Newton, let me assure you that NO ONE wants to jeopardize a child or human. Can I PROMISE that a coyote “incident” would never occur? No, but no more than you could PROMISE that a human neighbor down the street would never harm a child or pet. With or without coyotes, all children and pets need to be strictly supervised and the greatest dangers are not animal-related. How can we enthusiastically look forward to the lion lying down next to the lamb, when we can’t accept the humble coyote in our midst? I would respectfully like to offer another biblical quote, perhaps one that you haven’t yet considered and which has a kinder, less fearsome tone:
Job 12:7-10 – “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? In
His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind”.
I sincerely hope that the citizens of Cornwall and civic leaders will take the high road and do the right thing. It is certainly worth a try.
Tom this is not an abortion subject. I know it’s important to you. If you want write in a LTE.
Admin – it is relative to the argument. The shame and hypocrisy of such animal worshipers. My problem with such posts, is that there is never an out cry, so far as I have seen about the slaughter of the unborn, while some post read like this -“These animals were here long before us and have every right to continue living”. So the silence on the one hand about the slaughter of human life vs. the out cry for beavers, coyotes, dogs, etc. is the real issue here. Such animal lovers do not really care or love life, all God given life! The blood of the innocent is upon all our heads, maybe that is why we will not speak out – judgment has come. Hang our heads in shame!
Gail Clark – I noticed you didn’t condemn the slaughter of the innocent! Why not? “It is not the main topic of the post” – Hey right!
here’s a link that explains why killing coyotes does not solve perceived or real problems.
http://www.humanesociety.org/assets/pdfs/wild_neighbors/coyote_conflict_solutions.pdf
I suppose eagles have just as much rights as coyotes. Could you see this happening, but with a coyote. Watch link –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CE0Q904gtMI&feature=player_embedded#t=43s
The Only reason that any animal who lives in the woodlands leaves the woods permently, is because some ingorant person with a lot of money want’s a subdivision created in these woodlands for his own financial endeavours of which excites the city hall jerks to authorize permits without first seeing what type of destruction/disturbance that this maybe ocurring to the residents of the woodlands. As far as the animals are concerned, this is their land, their feeding land, their family lands.
Again humans have NOT understood the reasons why these animals are meant to be where they are. The animals are the hunters of that land and to equal the land of the living animal world.
Traps were made by humans,to catch their enemies, not for animals ( maybe human animals though) .
An animal will only attack if he is cornered.
It was humans who devise the methods of death to the animals, an animal will only kill for food out of hunger or for the family or a sick animal and yet, we humans kill an animal, for the sake of a squeamish human being.
Shame.
Have a nice day.
I want to be the first to say the above eagle video is a hoax – made up.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2012/12/19/20442346.html
But what if……..
That eagle video was pretty suspect from the get-go. Well done, but too well done.
About ten years ago we had an owl that was killing off our chickens, one each night, for a few weeks. The flock was enclosed in a coop, but the owl was able to gain access in spite of our our efforts to secure them. The weird thing to me was that the owl just removed the head of each chicken and didn’t touch the rest of the body. After loosing about half the flock, we ended up staying up one night, and blew the owl into the next world. It’s true that owls are a protected species, but at that point, the owl had to go. In the last year or two, we’ve had to dispatch about six racoons for the same reason. We don’t enjoy killing wildlife (predators), but we really don’t want to be forced to buy factory-produced eggs either.
I expect too that the elimination of the coniferous tree cover between McKenzie and Mercier Streets for new home development next year, just east of the first layer of homes south of Eamers Corners School, will help resolve some of these problems here.
25 new single detached and 12 semi’s on the new St. called Veterans St. will change a lot of things, hopefully the poor water shed issues of recent years as well.
To Pastor Newton, who wrote the following addressed to me:
>>>”Gail Clark – I noticed you didn’t condemn the slaughter of the innocent! Why not? “It is not the main topic of the post” – Hey right!”<<<
Why the uncalled for facetiousness, Pastor?
I didn't address genetically modified foods; global warming; child abuse; the fiscal cliff or the 20 angels killed in Connecticut last week, either – all issue of serious concern to me. For anyone to ASSUME what my personal philosophies are or what I advocate for, would be extremely judgmental to say the least and I believe there is an appropriate biblical passage which addresses that.
The topic title was "Coyote trapping…" That is the reason I am here, because it is yet another widespread injustice perpetrated against God's creations. Again, Job 12: 10 – "In His hand is the life of EVERY creature and the breath of ALL mankind". I note, especially, that God's Word through Job is not exclusionary of any specie.
Wishing you much peace in the New Year.
@Gail. It really isn’t worth it.
Happy Christmas!
don’t mind me, just stirring the pot a little…if we weren’t talking about canines (and we humans do feel a natural affinity for them) if this were a discussion about fishers, rats, wild pigs, snakes, or some other less attractive creature – including a flu virus – would everyone be screaming about what kind of lesson we’re teaching our children? we humans do seem to pick our favourites (prejudice) and ignore what we don’t like to think about.
the science behind not killing coyotes (because it doesn’t work) is valid, in my opinion. but we also have to be aware of our own anthropomorphism. wild animals are not Disney creatures.
we are so disconnected from nature, it’s a scary.
and frankly, pastor tom does raise some thought provoking points about our willingness to defend the innocent…or not.
ethical issues ain’t easy
and from historical documents….USA, check the last paragraph about canines
In the wake of Kristallnacht, humanitarian-minded Members of Congress introduced legislation to aid German Jewry. The Wagner-Rogers bill proposed the admission of 20,000 German refugee children outside the quotas. Nativist and isolationist groups vociferously opposed the Wagner-Rogers bill.
Typical of the opposition’s perspective was a remark by FDR’s cousin, Laura Delano Houghteling, who was the wife of the U.S. Commissioner of Immigration: she warned that “20,000 charming children would all too soon grow into 20,000 ugly adults.”
An appeal to FDR by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to support Wagner-Rogers fell on deaf ears, and an inquiry by a Congresswoman as to the president’s position was returned to his secretary marked “File No action FDR.” Mindful of polls showing most Americans opposed to more immigration, Roosevelt preferred to follow public opinion rather than lead it. Without his support, the Wagner-Rogers bill was buried in committee.
Ironically, when Pets Magazine the following year launched a campaign to have Americans take in pure-bred British puppies so they would not be harmed by German bombing raids, the magazine was flooded with several thousand offers of haven for the dogs.
in other words…no Jewish children, but we’ll take the puppies
we must guard against abdicating our senses no matter what’s “in” in a given generation
Human beings must learn to peacefully co-exist with all the world’s creatures. Many constructive, nonviolent suggestions were made by the Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals on how we can live with wildlife. The City of Cornwall should take the higher ethical ground and choose to not trap these beautiful animals.