Coyotes amongst us!
...with the Windsor Run development and McKee Road widening projects, coyote sightings have increased significantly. It's easy to fall prey to bad information so I thought it worth it provide some fact-based information - below are links to a couple of useful articles from the NC Wildlife Resource Commission and Mecklenburg County Park & Rec sites.
Three key Q&A's from the NCWRC article:
- What should I do if I see a coyote? Simply seeing a coyote is not cause for alarm. If you see a coyote frequently, you and your neighbors should take steps to prevent conflicts with it and other wildlife.
- Will coyotes attack me or my child? Attacks on people, including children, are extremely rare. Normal coyote behavior is to be curious, but wary, when close to humans. Like other wildlife, they will become bold and habituated if people feed them, either purposely or inadvertently, such as with garbage or outdoor pet food. They rarely contract rabies.
- Will coyotes attack my pet? Possibly. Coyotes view outdoor cats and small unleashed dogs as prey, while larger dogs are viewed as threats to their territory and /or their pups. Coyotes are most likely to confront larger dogs during the mating and pup birthing period, January through June.
- Please report a coyote sighting to the Mecklenburg County Park & Recreation Natural Resources Staff by completing this form.
Lastly, given the increased sightings around us, there's a lot of comments being made. One in particular (made on NextDoor) that I've been unable to validate is that CMPD Animal Control is working to develop a plan. Please know that I was told to the contrary, that they were unaware of any such plan and that it would not be developed by CMPD Animal Control regardless. Best advice, read the articles (linked above) to ensure you are not attracting coyotes to your residence/our neighborhood; and if a coyote does present a threat, call 9-1-1.