CBC Lite Sections News • Canada • PEI Islanders reminded to keep an eye on pets during coyote mating season Gwyneth Egan | CBC News | Posted: January 25, 2026 10:00 AM | Last Updated: 2 hours ago Province has had no reports of aggressive coyotes, says wildlife biologist Image | Coyote on Station Road in Port Hill, P.E.I. Caption: Coyotes are currently looking for mates and forming territories ahead of the breeding season, which can make them act more defensively. (P.E.I. forests, fish and wildlife division) (BUTTON) Load image Open image in new tab P.E.I. Public Safety is reminding Islanders to be aware of coyotes and keep an eye on pets at this time of year. Coyotes are currently looking for mates and forming territories ahead of the breeding season, which can make them act more defensively, said Matthew Ginn, a wildlife biologist with the province's forests, fish and wildlife division. That sort of behaviour can continue into pup-rearing season, he said. "You don't want to let your smaller pets outside where you either can't keep an eye on them or if they're prone to chasing things that they see or investigating smells — which a lot of dogs do," Ginn said. Image | Coyote in Milton, P.E.I. Caption: Signs of aggression include the coyote growling and approaching in a predatory fashion with its head down (P.E.I. forests, fish and wildlife division) (BUTTON) Load image Open image in new tab Coyote populations are widespread in the province and it's possible to spot one "just about anywhere on P.E.I.," said Ginn. But there are some instances when Islanders should report coyote sightings to the province. "If they're hanging around your yard, like coming up on your patio, if they show signs of aggression, we definitely want to hear from the public on those situations," he said. * Get big, make noise and back away: Islanders seeing more coyotes near walking trails * 8 interesting facts about P.E.I. coyotes Signs of aggression include growling and approaching in a predatory fashion with its head down, Ginn said. If a coyote appears aggressive, don't approach it. Make yourself big, hold an object in the air, make loud noises and try to scare it away. Image | Matt Ginn, P.E.I. forests, fish and wildlife division Caption: Ginn advises keeping potential food sources out of the reach of coyotes, otherwise they could be come habituated to places where it's readily available. (Stacey Janzer/CBC) (BUTTON) Load image Open image in new tab Although the province hasn't had any reports of aggressive coyotes, it's important to take precautions, Ginn said, including keeping possible food sources out of reach. "[You] definitely don't want to be feeding them directly, but you also want to keep everything contained, covered up so that they can't indirectly feed on that," he said. "If they do, they're being habituated to that site where they know there's humans there, so they're therefore being habituated to people as well, which just creates further problems." P.E.I. has a trapping and fur-harvesting season for coyotes, which runs Oct. 1 to March 31. More Stories Like This The related links below are generated automatically based on the story you’ve just read. Loading... CBC Lite is a low-bandwidth website. To see what's new, check out our release notes. For high quality images, media, comments, and other additional features visit the full version of this story. We and select advertising partners use trackers to collect some of your data in order to enhance your experience and to deliver personalized content and advertising. If you are not comfortable with the use of this information, please review your device and browser privacy settings before continuing your visit. Learn more about Online Tracking and Privacy Choices. * Corrections and Clarifications * Terms of Use * Reuse & Permission * Privacy * Accessibility * Contact a Newsroom * Submit Feedback * Lite Help Centre * Jobs * RSS CBC Lite version: 1.8.10. ©2026 CBC/Radio-Canada. All rights reserved.