Backyard Meal in Kitchener

by MG
(Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

These sightings happened several years ago, but I am just now discovering your page.

I was recently looking for information as I had read reports of Coyotes / Wolves in the Manchester / River Road area of Kitchener, Ontario. I found this a little frightening as this was my childhood neighbourhood. I often cut through the green belt to go to school as well as jogging there, even solo in the night, while my sister and her friends were known to have bush parties in more remote forests.

I have two Wolf sightings to report. Firstly, I was making a predawn drive one winter morning from Toronto to my parents' home in K-W. As I drove under the Ford Drive exit of the QEW, I was shocked to see 3 possibly 4 large, silver animals I am certain were Wolves. Driving at highway speed it was just an incredible, quick glimpse of them standing tall with fluffy fur on the right shoulder under the bridge in the pre-sunrise light seemingly taking in the frosty morning air.

I remember thinking I could see their breath that chilly morning. I was blown away by nature's majestic beauty that day and really couldn't believe my eyes. In my estimation they were using the overpass as a windbreak. As I read elsewhere on this site I took seeing them to be a special sign.

The second incident happened to my parents who lived on Robertson Crescent in the Doon Area of Kitchener. Their 1 1/3 acre property backed onto a green belt above which is the Caryndale neighbourhood. The green belt connects to a farmer's fields and there are small wooded areas at my parents' street's property line.

Their lot in particular has woods on one side and the other has a clear view to the field and Caryndale hill.

They enjoy the wildlife living on the edge of the city brings, with Chipmunks and especially Deer; so a pair of binoculars is always beside the backdoor/windows. Early one fall morning as my step-dad was having a coffee before the early shift, he noticed movement at the cleared end of the yard where they often see deer. This time the unfortunate deer had company as he saw several wolves enjoying a leisurely venison meal at about 100 feet from the back deck. By the time he had gone upstairs to wake my mother they had vanished, albeit leaving their mark.

A little later when there was more light he and my mother walked out to find the kill and large paw prints in the muddy ground just past the end of their property. The following day they once again visited the site only to find a few scraps and bones remaining although they did not see the Wolves again. Luckily for them they did not have small pets to worry about, although they were anxious for the neighbourhood Chipmunks.

They have recently moved to a nearby neighbourhood that is reported to have a large Coyote population, so I expect to hear more wildlife reports.

As a postscript I have a friend who lives in the Colorado Springs suburbs in the foothills of the Rockies who keeps all her Canadian friends up to date on the wildlife passing through her neighbourhood including Pumas, Bears, Deer and Bobcats. We are thrilled to see her encounters whenever she happens to get a photo. Most recently she had both a mother Bobcat and kittens visiting alongside several deer.

How amazing nature is!

Yes, Mother Nature is amazing - thank you for sending this report to us, I'm sure our readers will enjoy it very much!