To report coyote and wildlife sightings contact Service Oshawa at 905-436-3311 or by email.
The City only responds to urban wildlife calls if the animal has been injured . The City does not respond to calls about urban wildlife that are observed in urban areas or who have entered a dwelling or place of business. Residents should contact a private wildlife service.
Municipal Law Enforcement and Animal Services staff are trained to safely deal with issues related to wildlife within the City of Oshawa. Learn what you should do when you encounter sick or injured wildlife, nuisance animals, coyotes or bears.
General wildlife tips |
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Injured wildlife |
The City only responds to urban wildlife calls if the animal has been sick, injured. The City does not respond to calls about urban wildlife that are observed in urban areas or who have entered a dwelling or place of business. Residents should contact a private wildlife service. |
Wildlife rescue links |
Learn more about coyote behaviour. Take the Coyotes in the Urban Landscape online module.
Living with coyotes |
Take an e-learning course on Coyotes in the Urban Landscape to learn basic facts about coyote behaviour and how both animals and people can remain safe. This informational module has been created in partnership with Coyote Watch Canada and shared from the City of Toronto website. While some content references City of Toronto by-laws and policies, the practices in the City of Oshawa are similar. Coyote sightings are not uncommon in urban areas, including the City of Oshawa. Coyotes have been a vital part of our ecosystem for many years. By applying common sense, preventative techniques and by being aware of the diversity of wildlife that we share our living spaces with, we can minimize human and wildlife conflict. When coyote sightings increase many times these sightings are due to humans intentionally or unintentionally providing a food source. An over flowing bird feeder, mishandling of compost, and fallen fruit attract a diverse range of prey species such as rodents, squirrels, chipmunks, insects which coyotes will utilize as food. Consider that the birds and small mammals that frequent bird feeder stations are potential prey food for other predator species such as owls, hawks, fox and domestic pets. |
Report a coyote sighting |
The City of Oshawa uses sighting reports to monitor common locations and determine if neighbourhood specific communications should be sent.
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What can I do about a coyote that frequently visits my backyard? |
Human indifference is not an appropriate response to a coyote getting comfortable around areas that people frequent. Never allow a coyote to linger or bed down near your home or business. Print and follow the Wildlife Proofing Quick Tips available above. Applying simple low intensity hazing techniques will send a clear message to a coyote that they are not welcomed.
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What do I do in a coyote encounter? |
If a coyote is near:
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Seasonal behaviour that may elevate coyote sightings |
Winter during mating periods (January - February), Spring during den selection/pup rearing (March - June) and Fall during dispersal of pack members will also affect the number of sightings a resident observes a coyote. By promoting respect, compassion and safety education throughout our community about these intelligent, adaptable keystone species, we can safely coexist with coyotes. Never feed coyotes. Our best defence is not to habituate them. We need to keep them wild and wary of people. This is the best way to protect our pets and ourselves. The few documented cases of coyote-inflicted wounds on humans occurred as a result of humans feeding a coyote.
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Resources |
Throughout the city, there is construction activity and with the changing seasons, rodents such as mice and rats are displaced and seek indoor shelter. There are many things that residents can do to help control rodents.
How can I tell if I have a rodent problem? |
The easiest way to identify a rodent problem is by seeing their droppings. Mice droppings are about the size of rice grains. Rat droppings are about the size of black beans. Additional indicators may include:
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Why should I be concerned about a rodent problem? |
Rodents eat almost anything, breed quickly, damage buildings and can carry pathogens that may transmit disease to humans. In a year a pair of mice can eat over 4 kilograms of food and leave about 36,000 droppings. An adult rat can eat 20 to 40 kilograms of food per year. Rodents can contaminate about 10 times more food than they eat and can damage buildings and other articles by gnawing through rubber, aluminum and other soft metals (even light steel), cinder blocks, plastic and wood. Mice need only a 6 millimetre space and rats a 12 millimetre space to get through an opening. Rodents carry mites and fleas and spread diseases such as salmonella and Hantavirus. |
How do I control rodents? |
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How can I protect myself? |
Treat all rodents as infectious as they carry mites and fleas and spread diseases such as Salmonella and Hantavirus. Dead rodents, their urine and droppings should be handled with gloves and disposed with household garbage in tightly sealed bags. Any foodstuff contaminated by contact with rodents or their droppings should be discarded. Special care should be taken with mouse droppings and urine. A wet method of cleaning is recommended, such as wet wiping or mopping with a household disinfectant. Wash your hands after handling traps, poisons, rodents and wearing gloves. A licensed pest control operator should be contacted for heavy infestations. Visit the Durham Region Health Department for information on rodent control, or call 905-666-6241. |
What do I do with trapped live rodents? |
Inquiries should be directed to the Ministry of Natural Resources. Please review the general wildlife tips section of this page for general tips and information on what to do when you find wildlife. If a pest control company is trapping rodents on your behalf, inquiries should be directed to the company. |
How do I report rats roaming in my neighbourhood? |
Residents are asked to contact Service Oshawa to report rats in their surrounding neighbourhood. If the source of the rats is known a Property Standards By-law complaint will be created. If the source of the rats is not known, the information will be used to attempt to determine the source and to analyze the extent of the problem in any particular neighbourhood. Service Oshawa can be reached by phone at 905-436-3311, by email at [email protected] or in person at City Hall, 50 Centre St. S. and is open Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. |
The following organizations provide assistance to orphaned wildlife:
Cruelty to wildlife is regulated under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, and the Criminal Code. Reports of cruelty to wildlife should be directed to the Ontario SPCA.