Have you been seeing more coyotes lately? Here's why

If you're seeing more coyotes hangingaround this time of year, don't fret.

Coyotes aremore active in the winter time because it happens to be their mating season and they are more like to roam and explore new territories,said Joshua Shea, natural area co-ordinator for the city of Kitchener.

"We often see more activity levels in the spring and in the winter, again, it's largely because they're finding new territories and younganimals going out and exploring their own territories after being raised with the family unit," Sheasaid.

"It's definitely not uncommon to see them and it shouldn't be considered a concern."

In the summertheir activity levels drop as they are often tucked away raising their young.

What do you do?

Shea said one of the biggest tips staff try to enforce is keeping pets on leashes and indoors at night.

"That's normally where most encounters will occur," he said.

Food sources are also a big reason coyotes may hang around people's homes. Shea said things like compostor unattended garbage can act astriggersfor coyotes to come by.

So what do you do if you see a coyote near yourhome? Shea suggests youmakeloud noises and make the coyote feel unwelcome.

"Bang pots and pans or anything like that to scare the animal away," he said.

"Making the coyote feel unwelcome is the biggest thing [homeowners] can do to change the behaviour of that animal."

Coyotes often stay clear of people, especially when walking their dogs,he adds.

But if a person is walking alone and they encounter a coyote, Sheasays to stay calm, don't run, give space between you and the animal and again,be loud.

"Be loud and aggressive and the animal usually stays clear of them," he said.