Coyotes kill human hiker

A young woman was killed by two coyotes.

A young Canadian folk singer who had just set off on a solo tour to boost a promising musical career died Wednesday after being mauled by two coyotes in what is believed to be one of the country's first fatal attacks by the animals.

I am surprised. I live in Suthern California, and there are coyotes all around. A family of six lives close to where I work, in a suburban neighborhood. I see one on my way to work once in a while. They're cute. It does not for a second raise any alarms in me, despite stories of cats and small dogs being taken by them.

And then the authorities go out and shoot an innocent coyote, I am sad to say.

Officials shot a coyote late Tuesday, but Robichaud doubted that it was one of the two involved in the attack.

Let's just hope no influenza is named the coyote flu, prompting Canadians to kill all their coyotes, Egyptian style.