Toronto musician Taylor Mitchell died this morning after she was attacked by two coyotes while hiking in Cape Breton Highlands National Park yesterday.
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Toronto musician Taylor Mitchell died this morning after she was attacked by two coyotes while hiking in Cape Breton Highlands National Park yesterday.
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TORONTO — Taylor Mitchell was on the cusp of a dream: At 19 years old, she had just released her first record, learned to drive, bought a car, packed her guitar and drove east from Ontario for a series of small performances in the Maritimes.
On a break between gigs Tuesday afternoon, the Toronto singer and songwriter hiked alone along the popular Skyline Trail in Cape Breton Highlands National Park, renowned for its ocean views and opportunities to spot whales and moose. Two coyotes appeared along the seven-kilometre trail. They attacked.
A hiker heard her screams and called 911. RCMP officers arrived and shot one of the coyotes. Mitchell was airlifted to Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre in Halifax with bites all over her body. She died early Wednesday morning, said Sgt. Bridgit Leger of the RCMP.
"She loved the woods and had a deep affinity for their beauty and serenity," Lisa Weitz, Mitchell's publicist, said in an e-mail.
"Words can't begin to express the sadness and tragedy of losing such a sweet, compassionate, vibrant, and phenomenally talented young woman."
Experts expressed shock at the fatal encounter, which, they say, was out of character for the species. Coyotes have been known to attack pets and sometimes small children. But to attack and kill an adult is extremely rare.
"It's extraordinary. But one time is too much," said Helene Robichard, superintendent of Cape Breton Highlands National Park. The attack may have been the result of increased human-animal contact in national parks, she said.
The coyotes continued to act aggressively after the RCMP arrived. An officer shot at one, but it hobbled away and its body was not immediately recovered, Leger said. Park officials killed one of the coyotes late Tuesday night and are still looking for the other. The hiking trail remains closed as the search continues.
