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COVER STORY
Suburban Coyotes: Attacks On The Rise
By Marie Stephens
Additional Tips On Living With Coyotes
In An Emergency:
If a coyote is aggressive, approaching a person, biting or growling and snarling unprovoked, then:
Don’t turn away or run because the animal may view it as an opportunity to chase.
Keep eye contact.
Move toward other people, a building or an area of activity.
Call your local Arizona Game and Fish Department office (8am-5pm, Monday-Friday, excluding holidays). Also, call Game and Fish if severe property damage has occurred or if there is possession of a live coyote. After hours and weekends, a radio dispatcher is available at 623.236.7201.
Remember, removal is usually a last resort:
Coyotes will keep coming back to the same area if attractants are not removed. Coyotes do not usually become a problem where the guidelines listed below are followed. Homeowners may trap and relocate coyotes, but must contact the Arizona Game and Fish Department for an appropriate release location before transporting the animal. Homeowners can also hire a wildlife control business to capture and remove coyotes for a fee.
To prevent further problems:
Never feed coyotes.
Encourage your neighbors not to feed coyotes or leave anything out that might attract the animals.
Feed your pets inside, and never leave them unattended, especially at dusk and dawn when coyotes are most active. If it’s necessary to leave a small pet outside unattended, keep it in a sturdy enclosure with a roof.
Keep poultry, rabbits and rodents in secure enclosures.
Trim and remove any ground-level shrubs and branches that provide hiding places or den sites for coyotes or their prey.
Secure garbage containers and eliminate odors by cleaning trashcans with a 10 percent chlorine bleach solution. Put out trash containers on the morning of pickup, not the night before.
Rabies – Symptoms of this disease include foaming at the mouth, erratic or hyperactive behavior, and/or fearful, paralyzed or lethargic behavior. Call 911 or your closest Arizona Game and Fish Department office immediately if you see any animal with rabies symptoms. Anyone bitten by a coyote must immediately seek medical attention from a qualified health care provider. Whenever possible, the animal should be captured or killed and sent to a laboratory for rabies testing.
Canine distemper – This viral disease consists of fever, eye and nose discharge, loss of appetite and coughing. It can be transmitted to and from dogs through bodily fluids. Symptoms can appear similar to those of rabies.
Canine heartworm – Coyotes can serve as carriers of this type of heartworm, which is spread among dogs by mosquitoes.
Mange mite – Coyotes may be a host for the itch or mange mite. Female mites can burrow into the skin. Coyotes with mange can lose their hair, which can makes it difficult for them to control their body temperatures. Mange must be extremely severe before it disables a coyote. Most coyotes can survive with the disease for a long time.
Tapeworm – Coyotes can carry dog tapeworm, which can cause hydatid cyst disease in humans.
COVER STORY Online Extra | CITYSunTimes July 2009