Canadian singer Taylor Mitchell killed by coyotes

19-year-old was set upon while she walked in the Cape Breton Highlands national park

LAST UPDATED 1:44 PM, OCTOBER 29, 2009

An up-and-coming Canadian folk-singer, Taylor Mitchell, has been killed by a pack of coyotes while hiking in Nova Scotia. The 19-year-old singer-songwriter from Toronto was set upon as she walked alone in the Cape Breton Highlands national park and died of bite wounds in hospital.

Other hikers heard the singer's screams during the attack on Tuesday and called for help. When Mounties arrived they shot one of the animals, but it escaped. They found Mitchell in a critical condition with bites over her entire body.

She was airlifted to hospital in Halifax, but died the next day. Paul Maynard of Canada's Emergency Health Services said Mitchell "was losing a considerable amount of blood from the wounds," when help arrived.

The trail has been sealed off and parks officials are trying to hunt down the animals to find out why they attacked a human. It has been reported that one of the animals was later shot dead. Park superintendent Helene Robichaud said there had been reports of aggressive animals in the past "but we certainly never have had anything so dramatic and tragic".

Coyotes, which also are known as prairie wolves, are found throughout north America, but wildlife biologist Bob Bancroft said attacks on humans are extremely rare. He said the animals may have thought Mitchell was a deer.

The park where Mitchell was killed is home to far more dangerous animals including bears, cougars and lynx.

Mitchell was in the region on tour promoting her first album, For Your Consideration. Earlier this month she was nominated for the 2009 Canadian Folk Music Awards in the young performer of the year category.

Her manager Lisa Weitz described Mitchell as a "sweet, compassionate, vibrant, and phenomenally talented young woman".

LAST UPDATED 1:44 PM, OCTOBER 29, 2009

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Let's not get hysterical about this. There were TWO coyotes, not "a pack". These animals, along with wolves, are always being demonized in the press. The death of this young woman is a terrible tragedy, but it is extremely rare for such an attack.

Posted by Vivien Tarkirk-Smith at 7:25pm on October 29, 2009

She does look like a nice person.May God rest her dear soul.

Posted by mukeshnana at 9:43pm on October 29, 2009

Agree with Vivian, whether two or a pack, it's natural, and if you go into wilderness alone, you're taking a risk and need to know what you're doing. One factual inaccuracy in the article; bears [who aren't really predators] aren't 'far more dangerous' in fact it's myth that they are at all dangerous as a recent programme on TV showed - a biologist and animal behaviourist allowed up close to a nursing mother and cubs, who actually put a radio collar on a cub beside its mother. Even a huge male come for sex was tolerant of the humans. Those who like to shoot animals for sport prefer to think of them as dangerous beasts. The coyotes should not have been shot, it wasn't their fault, they were just behaving naturally in their own environment.

Posted by Peter Simmons at 11:29am on October 30, 2009

This is a tragic lost for her family, and the music industry. Such a talented young woman, such a waste.

Posted by Remen Anne Olokpa at 4:40pm on October 30, 2009

Vivian, are you suggesting the article was hysterical? You mention that such attacks are rare and you are correct, but the article states this also. You say it was not a pack of coyotes - as far as I can see the article doesn't refer to how many were involved in the attack, but even if there was only two, does this still not constitute a 'pack'? Peter, you say its a factual inaccuracy to say bears are more dangerous than coyotes. But I think there have been far more recorded deaths from bear attacks (horny or otherwise) than from coyote attacks so I'd say its a fair conclusion.

Posted by Steven Park at 12:45am on October 31, 2009