Coyotes are on the prowl, experts warn
RYE — We might be in the dead of winter, but for coyotes, a combination of hunger and hormones means this is the time to be out and about.Young coyote pups, who were born in the spring, are now venturing out on their own for the first time."They have to disperse and set up a new territory," said Paul Curtis, a professor at Cornell University who has been studying suburban coyotes in Westchester since 2006.Curtis said it can be a dangerous time because the inexperienced canines aren't always sure where to go or what to eat."People need to be particularly vigilant with small dogs," Curtis said.
He said some young coyotes from Westchester have been found to go deep into Connecticut to find new turf, as their parents pick the places in Westchester where they'll raise a new batch of pups.The adult coyote mating season typically lasts from now through February.
Rye Councilman Richard Filippi urged residents to be on guard as he explained coyote dynamics at a recent council meeting"I ask all dog owners not to let them off-leash, especially on wooded trails," he said.Experts say if you encounter a coyote, it's important not to run away from it. Fleeing a coyote would encourage it to run after you, but staying put or waving your arms would scare the coyote off. "Stand your ground," said Joy Reidenberg, president of the Friends of the Edith Read Wildlife Sanctuary. "Just stay there and wait for it to leave." Reidenberg also advised people not to leave their trash out at night because coyotes will smell it and eat the trash, assuming that the role of humans is to feed them.
Filippi said people aren't thinking much about coyotes now, but they should. Last year, coyotes were the talk of the town following several encounters, including a fatal attack on a pet dog in April and an attack on a 6-year-old in June. A rabid coyote was hunted down and killed in Rye Brook in September; it was believed to be one that had threatened two children and bitten a man in the leg.
Wildlife specialist Jim Horton was hired by Rye and Rye Brook to trap coyotes. He's currently busy tracking a coyote community in New Rochelle which he said appears to be living on a small island in Long Island Sound.
Reidenberg said that's another lesser-known fact about coyotes: They can swim. She said she knows of at least two that live on the island within Playland Lake, which freezes and becomes very easy to cross this time of the year.When they den and are with their pups, coyotes are the most territorial — and, consequently, more of a threat to humans. That's why Reidenberg wants to make sure that their habitats are not disturbed.
Keeping them safely nearby and still afraid of humans is the best outcome for everybody, except for maybe rodents."Any small animal that they can eat, that's prey for them," Reidenberg said. "These are basically the garbagemen of the animal world."The importance of coyotes reaches to curbing larger species as well. "It is important to have coyotes, as they feed on deer fawns in the spring," Filippi said. "This is key as we have an extreme overpopulation of deer in the county and region."
Mayor Douglas French said in his State of the City address Wednesday that the city's coyote policy will remain aggressive in 2011 as officials continue to teach residents how to peacefully coexist with the wild canines.Said Horton, the trapper: "Boy, I hope that it's not as bad as last year."
Rye Councilman Richard Filippi urged residents to be on guard as he explained coyote dynamics at a recent council meeting"I ask all dog owners not to let them off-leash, especially on wooded trails," he said.Experts say if you encounter a coyote, it's important not to run away from it. Fleeing a coyote would encourage it to run after you, but staying put or waving your arms would scare the coyote off. "Stand your ground," said Joy Reidenberg, president of the Friends of the Edith Read Wildlife Sanctuary. "Just stay there and wait for it to leave." Reidenberg also advised people not to leave their trash out at night because coyotes will smell it and eat the trash, assuming that the role of humans is to feed them.
Filippi said people aren't thinking much about coyotes now, but they should. Last year, coyotes were the talk of the town following several encounters, including a fatal attack on a pet dog in April and an attack on a 6-year-old in June. A rabid coyote was hunted down and killed in Rye Brook in September; it was believed to be one that had threatened two children and bitten a man in the leg.
Wildlife specialist Jim Horton was hired by Rye and Rye Brook to trap coyotes. He's currently busy tracking a coyote community in New Rochelle which he said appears to be living on a small island in Long Island Sound.
Reidenberg said that's another lesser-known fact about coyotes: They can swim. She said she knows of at least two that live on the island within Playland Lake, which freezes and becomes very easy to cross this time of the year.When they den and are with their pups, coyotes are the most territorial — and, consequently, more of a threat to humans. That's why Reidenberg wants to make sure that their habitats are not disturbed.
Keeping them safely nearby and still afraid of humans is the best outcome for everybody, except for maybe rodents."Any small animal that they can eat, that's prey for them," Reidenberg said. "These are basically the garbagemen of the animal world."The importance of coyotes reaches to curbing larger species as well. "It is important to have coyotes, as they feed on deer fawns in the spring," Filippi said. "This is key as we have an extreme overpopulation of deer in the county and region."
Mayor Douglas French said in his State of the City address Wednesday that the city's coyote policy will remain aggressive in 2011 as officials continue to teach residents how to peacefully coexist with the wild canines.Said Horton, the trapper: "Boy, I hope that it's not as bad as last year."
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