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A Coyote Unexpectedly Killed a Human in 2009. Scientists Now Know Why
It's likely due to an unexpected dietary adaptation.
Monisha Ravisetti
Dec. 12, 2022 3:27 p.m. PT
4 min read
One of 24 coyotes captured in Cape Breton Highlands National Park that researchers fitted with a GPS collar to track its space use.
Stan Gehrt
In 2009, 19-year-old folk singer Taylor Mitchell was attacked by a pack of coyotes while on a hike at the Cape Breton Highlands National Park in Canada. She was just about to start the popular Skyline Trail when climbers in the area saw the animals close- in, unprovoked.
Onlookers called 911, and Mitchell was airlifted to a hospital in Halifax, but 12 hours later, she died from her injuries.
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This marked the very first documentation of a coyote attack in North America that resulted in a human adult fatality (in 1981, 3-year-old Kelly Keene was killed by a coyote on her family's property), raising questions about whether it's no longer safe to co-exist with these furry mammals.
"We didn't have good answers," Stan Gehrt, a professor in Ohio State's School of Environment and Natural Resources and leader of the Urban Coyote Research Project, said in a statement.
But after conducting a multi-year investigation into the incident, Gehrt appears to have offered some insight into the situation at last.
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It's likely due to an unexpected dietary adaptation.
Monisha Ravisetti
Dec. 12, 2022 3:27 p.m. PT
4 min read
One of 24 coyotes captured in Cape Breton Highlands National Park that researchers fitted with a GPS collar to track its space use.
Stan Gehrt
In 2009, 19-year-old folk singer Taylor Mitchell was attacked by a pack of coyotes while on a hike at the Cape Breton Highlands National Park in Canada. She was just about to start the popular Skyline Trail when climbers in the area saw the animals close- in, unprovoked.
Onlookers called 911, and Mitchell was airlifted to a hospital in Halifax, but 12 hours later, she died from her injuries.
Get the CNET Now newsletter
Spice up your small talk with the latest tech news, products and reviews. Delivered on weekdays.
Yes, I also want to receive the CNET Insider newsletter, keeping me up to date with all things CNET.
By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
This marked the very first documentation of a coyote attack in North America that resulted in a human adult fatality (in 1981, 3-year-old Kelly Keene was killed by a coyote on her family's property), raising questions about whether it's no longer safe to co-exist with these furry mammals.
"We didn't have good answers," Stan Gehrt, a professor in Ohio State's School of Environment and Natural Resources and leader of the Urban Coyote Research Project, said in a statement.
But after conducting a multi-year investigation into the incident, Gehrt appears to have offered some insight into the situation at last.
[iframe src="[URL="https://f024034745d7d64a254b228429b366c5.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html?n=0"]SafeFrame Container[/URL]" name="1-0-40;25108;
