Our friend Brent Patterson commenting on what can be done to restore fear in habituated coyotes

+ Scientist: More research needed on coyote conduct By LAURA FRASER Cape Breton Bureau Thu, Aug 12 - 4:53 AM The recent coyote attack on a sleeping girl in Cape Breton Highlands National Park has left some scientists wondering whether more research should be conducted on the animals and their interactions with people. Brent Patterson, an Ontario wildlife scientist, said that little is known about whether the animals can regain their natural fear of humans if it has been lost. "We don't know . . . at what level you can no longer reverse that behaviour in a coyote or if you can at all," he said in an interview Wednesday. A girl, 16, went to hospital early Monday morning after a coyote bit her scalp while she slept outside her family's tent at Broad Cove campground near Ingonish. She suffered two small cuts to her head but otherwise appeared unhurt. A year ago, two coyotes fatally mauled a Toronto folksinger who was hiking alone on the popular Skyline Trail in western Cape Breton. Despite the media attention following both incidents, Patterson said the majority of coyotes never see a human as prey. It is only through positive contact with people that animals might change their patterns, Patterson said. Patterson also hesitated to call the recent incident an attack. "It's a little bit debatable whether you consider it an act of predation. Some might consider it an act of scavenging (because the animal is) treating a sleeping person as they would a dead carcass. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle." More research could be done to determine whether officials can change the behaviour of coyotes that have lost their fear of humans, Patterson said. Any coyote that has shown genuine aggression, however, should likely be killed as a precaution, he said. Parks Canada wardens set about 10 traps for coyotes Tuesday near the campground. No one could be reached Wednesday to confirm whether any animals had been caught.