After losing 15 animals in 12 months, one family business in Oro-Medonte say coyotes are becoming a big concern.

Reta and Henry Regelink have owned Big Curve Acres since 1988 and have more than 200 display animals on their land – some of which are used in movies and on TV. But the past 12 months have been nothing short of a horror show.

A pack of coyotes has killed 15 animals on the farm in the past year. And on Monday, they attacked and killed a 250 lbs Ram.

“Never would have expected that Jacob ram would be a victim to a coyote kill,” says Reta Regelink.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food says more than 500 coyote kills or attacks have been confirmed in Simcoe County since 2011.

The Regelink’s say they are digging their way under a fence and once in, it’s a free-for-all putting the animals at risk.

The fences around the farm are checked and lowered to the ground every year. Because there have been so many attacks, the Ministry of Natural Resouces considers the farm a hot spot. The MNR says coyote sightings peaked in the area in 2010.

“It’s really out of control because they seem to have no fear of humans or obviously vehicles or automobiles. It’s just they’ve lost their fear of being in the public,” added Regelink.

Farmers like the Regelink’s are compensated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food for the loss of animals. A ministry representative comes in to investigate the kill and determines what the animals are worth.

The Regelink’s say they have a couple of options to protect their animals. They can shoot the coyotes but because they are so close to the highway they won’t even consider it. So now they are looking at bringing in trappers to try and bring the killing to a stop.