Toddler’s face bitten in coyote attack at Whitby, Ont., playground: police

An unprovoked coyote attack on a toddler at a playground in Whitby, Ont., this weekend was “a bit exceptional,” one wildlife expert said amid warnings about similar incidents in the Toronto area in recent months.

A two-year-old boy was at the Vanier Park playground on Sunday evening when a coyote attacked and bit him in the face, Durham Region police said. They said the child’s guardian and bystanders scared the animal off, and the boy was taken to a hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

Less than an hour later, police said a second coyote was found in distress in the area and was removed by officers, with no injuries reported.

Dennis Murray, a biology professor and Canada Research Chair in integrative wildlife at Trent University, said a coyote attack at a playground is “outstanding and a bit exceptional.”

It comes after another child was hurt in a coyote attack in a public field in Whitby last month. A child and a teenager were also hurt in separate coyote attacks in Markham, north of Toronto, in May.

Murray said it’s too early to say whether coyote attacks are on the rise this season.

“To say that … there are more attacks now than there was previously, I think might be a bit premature because it may be that things are being reported a lot more than they were before,” he said in an interview on Monday.

That said, the professor noted it’s conceivable that human interactions with coyotes have increased, pointing to shifts in how municipalities are managing wildlife. He said changes in coyote management philosophy tend to encourage coexistence with wildlife, which would naturally lead to more encounters.

Murray said most coyote encounters during the summer are linked to the animals protecting their pups as they begin leaving the den. He said these incidents are typically temporary and can be managed through public awareness and by avoiding areas where coyotes are denning.

Children are more vulnerable during encounters with coyotes, the professor said, noting that most reports he has seen this year involved those aged 16 and younger. Children are less physically imposing, he said, and are more likely to explore wooded or natural areas where coyote dens and pups may be present.

“So I think that for both of those reasons … that would cause greater likelihood of having those interactions,” Murray said.

Durham Region police said aggressive coyote behaviour is rare but is being taken seriously, and they are urging residents to be vigilant near parks and trails, especially at dawn and dusk.

Residents are asked to keep their pets leashed, supervise children, remove food attractants and report sightings to Whitby’s online tracking tool, or call 911 if a coyote poses an immediate threat.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 7, 2026.

Monique Kasonga, The Canadian Press