VIDEO: Oakville girl describes her coyote attack

Some parents may have laughed last week when they received a letter from St. Joan of Arc Catholic Elementary School in Oakville describing the coyote lockdown on Jan. 11, when students were kept inside the classroom during the lunch hour after one was spotted prowling the schoolyard earlier in the day.

But after a brazen coyote leapt over a backyard fence to attack an 8-year-old girl on Thursday afternoon, the entire town is on heightened alert for the howling carnivores, which have been known to prey on small pets, but are usually considered harmless to humans.

“I think it’s becoming a little scarier for sure,” said Kevin Corcoran, who lives on Canonbridge Circle, a few doors down from where 8-year-old Julia Couto was bit on the thigh as she played with a friend.

Corcoran helped police locate what was believed to be the culprit coyote, which was shot and killed. The natural resources ministry gave police permission to shoot the animal after the attack.

“My kids are scared,” Corcoran said. “They won’t go out in the front yard anymore.”

Oakville residents, particularly those living between Bronte and Sixteen Mile creeks, are accustomed to sharing their neighbourhood with coyotes and other wildlife. The area is dotted not only with popular golf courses, but also small creeks and ravines, trails and parks.

“Urban coyotes are a fact of life here,” said Cindy Toth, the town’s director of environmental policy.

But residents used to hearing the animal’s howl have been put on edge this month by an apparently aggressive coyote or coyotes.

In addition to the schoolyard scare, two small dogs were attacked by coyotes this week, one fatally. Neighbours have also been gossiping about a male jogger who was apparently attacked by a coyote on one of the region’s trails. Halton police could not confirm the report.

Town officials are confident the animal shot Thursday was the “problem coyote,” but they still encourage residents to remain alert, reminding them never to feed the animals and asking them to be aware of any unintentional food sources left outside.

Corcoran said he and his neighbours have taken to wearing cowbells while walking dogs, or shaking cans filled with screws to ward off any potential coyotes.

Julia’s mother, Jenny Couto, said she is thankful her daughter was wearing snow pants at the time of the attack or her wound — three small bite marks and bruising — could have been much worse. “It was a scary ordeal for her, but it’s not usual coyote behaviour.”

Derek Quinlan, whose daughter Sydney was playing with Julia when the attack occurred, said after he heard the children scream and he ran into the living room, the coyote stood steadfast on his backyard deck, staring straight at the children through the sliding glass door.

It’s unclear what may have caused the aggressive behaviour. Town officials are awaiting results of an autopsy of the killed animal to see if it was rabid, or if there is evidence it had been fed by humans.

Meanwhile, Julia appeared unfazed a day later as she fielded interview requests and spoke to TV cameras before she was to take a quick trip to hospital. “I’m going to get a rabies shot!” she said, smiling.

The town is holding a coyote information session at 9 p.m. Jan. 31 at the St. Volodymyr Cultural Centre, 1280 Dundas St. W.

Julia Couto, 8, photographed at her Oakville home, was attacked by a coyote while playing at the yard of neighbour. Police say they shot and killed the coyote that attacked the girl Thursday afternoon.

Afghan MP among 19 killed in suicide attack

 A suicide bomber attacked a funeral in northeastern Afghanistan Sunday, killing at least 19 people including an MP and wounding dozens of others, officials said.

The attacker, who was wearing a suicide vest, blew himself up among a crowd of mourners gathered for the funeral of a government official in Taluqan city, the capital of Takhar province.

"We have 19 dead including an MP, Abdulmutalib Baig, and more than 40 wounded, mostly civilians," said Takhar provincial governor Abdul Jabar Taqwa.

"I was also invited to this ceremony but I didnÕt go. The target was either me or the MP."

Baig was a former Mujahedeen commander and the former police chief of Kunduz province. He was working with opposition leader Abdullah Abdullah in the newly established National Coalition of Afghanistan.

"This ruthless act of terror to target innocent people who had gathered for a religious ceremony yet again demonstrates the vile and vicious nature of the enemy who do not want to see the Muslim people of Afghanistan to perform even their Islamic rituals," Afghan President Hamid Karzai said.

Both the provincial police chief General Khair Mohammad Temor and the interior ministry confirmed the death toll. Temor said there were no women among the dead and more than 50 were wounded.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility and the Taliban, who are leading an insurgency against Afghan government forces and US-led international troops, were not reachable for comment.

Peace talks with the Taliban in the hope of finding a political settlement after 10 years of war have stalled in the wake of the September assassination of government peace envoy Burhanuddin Rabbani and continued violence.

Takhar province is one of the areas being handed over by NATO in the second wave of transition to Afghan security forces ahead of the planned withdrawal of foreign combat forces by the end of 2014.

There have been a number of high-profile attacks in the province in the last year, including the assassination of anti-Taliban northern Afghanistan police commander General Mohammad Daud Daud.

"This reprehensible attack... illustrates that the Taliban and other insurgents are waging a murderous campaign against innocent Afghan civilians and exposes as false calls by (Taliban leader) Mullah Omar during the Eid al-Adha... on their followers not to kill civilians," the US embassy said in a statement.

Elsewhere, in eastern Afghanistan, an ISAF service member died after an insurgent attack on Christmas day. The nationality was not disclosed in line with policy.

The death came after an Afghan soldier was killed in a separate gunfight with US troops after he opened fire during an argument on Christmas eve, officials said.

US troops were also injured in the incident on Saturday after the Afghan soldier began shooting and coalition troops returned fire in southwestern Farah province, Afghan army and police officials said.

"Last night in Bala Boluk an Afghan army soldier opened fire on foreign forces," said Najibullah Najibi, spokesman for the Afghan army in western Afghanistan.

"Four foreign forces have been wounded in this incident and the Afghan soldier has been killed."

A spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force said there were no coalition fatalities but would not comment on ISAF casualties in line with policy.

Coalition troops often carry out joint operations with Afghan army and police. But violent incidents are not uncommon and Afghan security forces or those purporting to be have carried out several attacks on ISAF soldiers.

There are now 180,000 Afghan National Army soldiers. The Afghan security forces have grown quickly, raising fears over the quality of recruits and even Taliban infiltration.

Meanwhile, the interior ministry said in the space of 24 hours Afghan security forces killed 30 armed insurgents in various operations around the country in which a number of weapons were found.