Trent University biologist says Toronto needs tougher coyote removal, not just hazing
A new academic paper argues the city's reliance on aversion tactics falls short; persistent problem animals should be euthanized, researcher says.
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Toronto needs to revamp its approach to coyote control by euthanizing persistent problem animals instead of waiting for them to leave on their own, according to a new academic paper by Trent University biologist Dennis Murray.
"Right now it's just head in the sand and hope for the best," Murray said of the city's coyote coexistence and response strategy, which council approved last year.
Murray's peer-reviewed paper, published July 15 in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, argues that hazing—such as waving coloured garbage bags, yelling, clapping, or throwing tennis balls at approaching coyotes—produces measurable avoidance only when applied consistently and intensively in early stages of habituation, and effects are typically short-lived.
Toronto has experienced a spike in coyote encounters in recent years, particularly in downtown neighbourhoods like Liberty Village and Fort York. Since 2020, there have been nine incidents where people in Toronto were bitten by coyotes, and hundreds of dogs have been attacked, some fatally. Although there have been no attacks on humans in Toronto so far this year, three people were bitten by coyotes last month in the Greater Toronto Area, including a Whitby toddler who was bitten on the face and seriously injured.
The city's current strategy relies heavily on educating the public about coyote behaviour and aversion methods. A city spokesperson said in an email that "Programs to remove coyotes in North America have been historically costly, ineffective, and at times counterproductive. Removal does not address the contributing factors for why conflicts between problematically behaving coyotes and humans occur."
After a series of attacks on dogs in Liberty Village last year, the city narrowed the problem down to four animals. Two were euthanized and the other two left the neighbourhood, according to a city release from May 2025.
Murray's paper, co-written with two members of the Coyote Safety Coalition—a Liberty Village-based community group pushing for more aggressive removal—also criticizes municipalities for relying too heavily on a coexistence philosophy rather than making safety the priority.
The facts
What does Dennis Murray's research say about hazing coyotes?
Hazing—such as waving coloured garbage bags, yelling, clapping, or throwing tennis balls—produces measurable avoidance only when applied consistently and intensively in early stages of habituation, and effects are typically short-lived, according to Murray's peer-reviewed paper published July 15, 2026 in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution.
How many coyote bites on humans have occurred in Toronto since 2020?
Nine incidents where people in Toronto were bitten by coyotes have occurred since 2020, though there have been no attacks on humans in Toronto so far in 2026.
What happened to the coyotes identified after attacks in Liberty Village?
After a series of dog attacks in Liberty Village in 2025, the city identified four problem animals: two were euthanized and the other two left the neighbourhood, according to a May 2025 city release.
