An Okanagan resident says her neighbourhood is living in fear due to an aggressive pack of coyotes.
“Pretty scary. We've been doing this for a few weeks," said Carly Sachan.
Sachan shared with Castanet a video of one of her dogs being attacked in the front yard of their home when they were let out by a dog sitter.
“Thank god, he's about 35 pounds, so it wasn't able to lift it off the ground,” Sachan says.
The pug only suffered superficial wounds, but Sachan says she went out and bought both her dogs protective vests. “We call him my little battle pug.”
Sachan says she has contacted the BC Conservation Officer Service and "was told if I walked the dogs and walk with a stick or something, I'll be fine.”
She says there have been other recent run-ins with coyotes in the neighbourhood while dog owners are walking their dogs on leash, while another neighbour's cat was killed and left in pieces on her lawn.
Sachan says she believes the coyotes are living nearby, “we can hear them howling at night.”
Sachan says she and her neighbours feel like they are under siege and her video cameras seem to indicate the coyotes are very active in the area, “we are picking up the same coyote (on video) coming and going on the same path across our lawn and down the street now almost hourly.”
With this attack on video being the second this week, Sachan says the neighbourhood is starting to get frustrated.
According to the provincial website, If a wolf or coyote approaches you:
- Make yourself look as large as possible - if sitting, stand for example.
- Wave your arms and throw objects at the wolf or coyote.
- Shout at the wolf or coyote in a loud aggressive voice.
- If the wolf or coyote continues to approach don't run or turn your back. Continue to exaggerate the above gestures and slowly move to safety.
