Conservation officers are warning residents to stay alert on local trails after a coyote attacked a woman Monday morning.

The coyote followed the woman while she was jogging on a trail near McIntyre Creek.

“(The animal) made contact with the woman by ‘nipping’ at her legs,” Environment Yukon said in a statement this morning.

The coyote’s bites broke the skin of the woman’s leg.

The woman, whose name was not disclosed, was treated at Whitehorse General Hospital.

She only suffered minor injuries but was a bit shaken by the attacks, conservation officer Kevin Johnstone told the Star today.

While there are no confirmed cases of rabies within the territory, anyone bitten by a coyote should seek medical attention, Johnstone said.

There are no plans to try to locate, trap or eliminate the animal.

When encountering a coyote, conservation officers recommend to the public, follow a few simple rules.

Don’t run away.

“It’s a natural instinct for them to chase after something,” said Johnstone.

The coyote will catch up, and the person’s legs and feet are exposed while running.

Instead, stand your ground.

And scare the living daylight out of the coyote.

That means making yourself look as big as possible, talking loudly and maintaining eye contact.

Pets should be kept on a leash. As in the case of wolves, a dog running after a coyote could find itself facing several of them, with a potentially unhappy ending.

“They find that an easy meal,” Johnstone said.

There’s also the risk of the dog running back to you – with a pack of coyotes on its heels.

While encounters with coyotes do happen, Johnstone notes, the risk of an attack remains minimal.

As with bear awareness, it’s all about remembering we’re sharing the city with wild animals.

People are also asked not to feed coyotes, foxes or wolves.

“They are wild by nature,” he said.

“If they become habituated to human food, they lose their sense of wildness and become a little more bold.”

As with bears, which are starting to wake up, people are asked to eliminate attractants.

That means securing garbage and composted materials, and storing pet food inside.

More tips can be found on the Yukon Department of Environment’s website at env.gov.yk.ca/environment-you/coyotewolffoxes/.