Cambridge removes coyote traps after photos spark outcry
CAMBRIDGE — George Aitkin was horrified by what he saw while walking through Churchill Park in the middle of the day.
A coyote caught in a foot trap hurled itself around, panting and later chewing at its paw to free itself.
“If I knew it was safe I would have gone over and released it,” he said. “I can’t get the image of that poor coyote out of my head.”
Aitkin went home, contacted city hall to say its trap had caught a coyote, and returned with a longer lens to take photos from a distance.
He put his photos online Wednesday. On Friday, Cambridge council bowed to public outcry, abandoning its plan to trap and relocate three or more coyotes that some have deemed a menace.
“Given the feedback, council has directed staff to reassess,” said Hardy Bromberg, a deputy city manager.
“I commend them for that,” said Lesley Sampson, founding director of animal advocacy group Coyote Watch.
“Give them some space. Give them some time,” Sampson said of the coyotes. “This too shall pass.”
The city ordered all three leg traps removed. For now, it plans to leave the animals alone and add more warning signs. The city believes the coyotes may number three or more, including two who are mature and their pups.
“I feel very relieved,” said Ait-
kin, 65, who is well-known in Cambridge as a distance runner. “That is more in line with what I would have hoped would happen.”
Aitkin has seen coyotes trot down his street. He understands concerns for public safety, but feels for the animals and figures the solution is for people to steer clear until the coyotes move on.
The city will urge people to leash pets as required by law, to stop leaving food for wildlife, to not leave garbage behind and to be vigilant. It may relocate garbage bins. It has fenced off trail portions and closed an outdoor basektball court.
Coyotes are not new to Churchill Park. The city typically preaches cohabitation, but there’s heightened concern after two recent incidents.
A family dog needed stitches in June after it was let off its leash and a coyote attacked it. This month a man drove his car onto a field to scare off a coyote seen closing in on a dog.
“It just seemed that this spring and this summer, the coyotes that were in Churchill Park were somewhat more aggressive than what we’ve been typically used to,” Bromberg said.
A city-hired trapper placed traps in the park Tuesday. One male coyote was captured. The trapper relocated it Wednesday to an undisclosed location that’s within one kilometre based on government guidelines, Bromberg said.
“One kilometre is nothing to a coyote. That’s their home range,” Sampson said. Bromberg said the coyote could make its way back.
Bromberg said the foot trap used by the city has no teeth. Its jaws are off-set and laminated, designed to maintain blood circulation and not cause injury.
Canada has approved several such traps for use on coyotes as part of an international agreement on humane trapping standards.
Aitkin said he saw no blood on the coyote.
The city considered trying to cage the animals, Bromberg said, but was advised it’s hard to cage a coyote and that caging also causes distress. Ontario tells trappers to use devices with high capture rates.
Ontario has found that certain cable restraints often work better to trap coyotes than foot holds or foot snares.