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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 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."
Coyotes kill woman on hike in Canadian park
sure. i dunno. but if i take a 'quick' look at research on it, i don't see that. so you'd have to back that up!
Unregulated hunting is not the issue here Ze. Name one game animal today that has been made extinct by modern, regulated hunting practices. I'm not referring to poachers, extinction due to overharvest by indigenous tribes etc.Zé wrote:sure. i dunno. but if i take a 'quick' look at research on it, i don't see that. so you'd have to back that up!
I hate to break it to you, but people have been killing coyotes since the Wild West, and they are the largest population of predators in all of North America.
actually you're right I don't care about the unregulated or regulated hunting per se. but i find it amusing that you think the solution to the "problem" of what appears to be a low probability attack, is simply to hunt more.
how about just not walk around in the woods alone?
how about just not walk around in the woods alone?