"CALL OF THE WILD HAVE BEACHES PRAYING FOR A BUSY SIGNAL"

Gone are the childhood memories of hearing the Roadrunner's 'beep-beep' blaring from your television set. The good ol' Acme Company providing clever gadgets for a sly but always beaten coyote as he used to try to catch the cunning bird on the Looney Tunes. But Wile E. Coyote is far from animated here. He's a real, living breathing threat and he's brought a friend. A pair of coyotes have been spotted by residents in the Neville Park area that have given people reason for concern.

Last Saturday's incident in the Beaches involving Zoe, a 6-year-old chihuahua, who was dragged by the neck never to be seen again by the predator in question hits very close to home. The brazen attack on the little dog happened at 8:45 a.m. in full view of the owner after a coyote leapt over a 1.2 meter chain link fence. This clearly shows that these animals have become quite comfortable in our environment and aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

Toronto Animal Services have been called in and are looking at various solutions to the problems without harming the coyotes. They're looking to deter them from residential areas by ways of trapping and relocation. People are concerned not only for their pets but for their children's safety. A small child would be an easy target for a coyote if left unattended in a yard.

Their diet consists primarily of mice, rabbit and squirrels but feeding on cats is not unheard of. Long before the attack on Zoe, cats had been missing without any explanation but people had their suspicions. Another incident the following day involved yet another dog weighing seven kilograms but survived the attack with serious injuries.