Every Tuesday night, Alice Kent leaves the rear entrance of her home in Christie Pits unlocked for her cleaner.
However, on one occasion, after greeting her cleaner and allowing her inside, Kent discovered that the open door had permitted an unexpected visitor—a furry one.
“She went upstairs to begin her cleaning and then very calmly returned halfway down the stairs to inform me, ‘I believe there’s a fox in your bedroom,'” Kent recalled.
The creature, which Kent initially thought was a “fox,” turned out to be a baby coyote resting on the mattress in her master bedroom.
“At first, I thought maybe she was joking or had left a toy for me or something,” Kent said. “I went upstairs expecting to find something adorable… only to see a coyote on my bed.”
In recent times, Toronto has seen an increase in encounters between residents and coyotes. Since 2020, city statistics indicate that there have been nine recorded incidents of coyote bites in Toronto. In February 2025, Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik introduced an urgent action plan.
In June of this year, a child was attacked and hospitalized in Whitby, Ontario, followed by a two-year-old in July, also in Whitby. These recent events have ignited public concern and prompted a discussion regarding population control.
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For Kent, what initially seemed charming quickly turned concerning as the severity of the situation dawned on her.
“Suddenly, I was overwhelmed with thoughts about the potential danger to my children, my cleaner, and myself,” Kent expressed. “If the coyote felt trapped or threatened, it could react aggressively.”
Compounding the issue, the coyote pup was afflicted with mange, a condition that causes scabs, itching, and patches of missing fur.
Recognizing the urgency, Kent contacted both 911 and the Toronto Wildlife Centre for assistance.
Capturing and caring for the baby coyote
Frequent coyote encounters are not uncommon in the Christie Pits area.
“There is still a significant amount of feeding occurring for coyotes in this region,” remarked Nathalie Karvonen, executive director of the Toronto Wildlife Centre.
“This is detrimental for coyotes as it alters their behavior, making them less fearful of humans and residential properties,” she added.
When the police and wildlife response team arrived, Karvonen noted that the pup was discovered hiding beneath the bed.
The Toronto Wildlife Centre, Toronto Police Service, and some of Kent’s neighbors responded to the scene. (Submitted by Alice Kent)
The team simply needed to extract the pup from its hiding spot.
“This family of coyotes is familiar to us due to their illness caused by social sarcoptic mange, and we have been attempting to locate them,” Karvonen explained.
Following the retrieval of the pup from Kent’s residence, Karvonen stated that her team performed a quick assessment of the coyote’s condition and administered treatment on-site before releasing it back into the wild.
Kent mentioned that a few weeks prior to this incident, she had observed three coyote pups frequently lounging on her back deck.
She indicated that she would scare them away from her property, following advice from the Wildlife Centre.
As per Karvonen, the most effective methods to manage unwanted coyotes include eliminating food sources like pet food, supervising small dogs or cats, and creating loud noises.
“On one hand, we want to advise people on how to address their fears, but we also want to emphasize that there is generally no reason to be afraid of them,” she elaborated.
The Toronto Wildlife Centre only monitors coyotes that are reported as ‘sick’ within the city.
Regarding the actual population, Karvonen noted that determining an accurate number would require a multi-million dollar study to truly understand the extent of the issue.