Nicole Van De Wolfschaar heard a lot of noise from the crows in her backyard on Saturday morning. But looking at the pool, she saw something unusual.
“I was sure I would have to add a drowned coyote to my list of things to do,” she wrote on her Facebook page in her neighborhood, sharing photos of a coyote swimming in the pool. “In the end, he escaped safely.”
Van De Wolfschaar told the CFRA live on Newstalk 580 CFRA with Andrew Pinsent that she had taken water to make coffee on her barbecue – her power was still off from the storm a week ago – when she heard the noise of local birds.
“When there is a predator in the neighborhood, crows start making a lot of noise to warn other animals,” she said. “We often see foxes in our backyard, so I went out to see the fox and I couldn’t see it anywhere. Then I went to the pool and then I saw the coyote. “
She did not know if the coyote had fallen or just wanted to go swimming, but said she was worried he might be trapped.
“It may have been a wrong reaction, but I was worried. I wanted to help him. “I’m looking around the yard to find something to use to get him out of the pool, because he really didn’t look like he was going to make it,” she said. He looked exhausted. I don’t know how long he was in the pool before I saw him. “
Nicole Van De Wolfshaar told Newstalk 580 CFRA that a coyote found swimming in the backyard pool in Ottawa appeared to have been caught, but eventually managed to get out and leave on Saturday morning. May 28, 2022 (Nicole Van De Wolfshaar / Facebook)
Van de Wolfschaar said she had heard from neighbors that coyotes were sometimes seen in her area in Glabar Park.
The coyote finally managed to get out of the pool. Van de Wolfschaar also regained power on Saturday night.
Between last Saturday’s storm, the weekly power outage and the coyote visit, Van de Wolfschaar said it was “the craziest week I’ve had since I moved here.”
Coyote sightings are not uncommon in Ottawa. City officials say they receive about 300 calls a year for them, mostly for the same animal or coyotes killed by vehicles. There have been reports of attacks in recent years.
Although this coyote seemed only interested in diving, the Ottawa Police and the Ottawa Statute have the following advice if you encounter aggressive wildlife:
- Never approach or touch the animal
- Do not turn your back on the animal and do not run away from it
- Step back, keeping calm
- Stand up straight, wave your arms and make a lot of noise
- Wear a flashlight when walking at night
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