Letter: Controlling coyotes starts with pet owners

Posted 12/4/17

To the editor: As an urban wildlife biologist by training, and a Laurel Park resident, I wholeheartedly agree with the Warren Times editorial reply about the town's so-called "coyote …

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Letter: Controlling coyotes starts with pet owners

Posted

To the editor:
As an urban wildlife biologist by training, and a Laurel Park resident, I wholeheartedly agree with the Warren Times editorial reply about the town's so-called "coyote problem.” Whether people like them or not, coyotes are here to stay, and arguably play an important part in the urban and suburban ecosystem. They are an example of an urban wildlife species that has adapted to our modifications of the environment. In a practical sense, removing them would not work long-term. It would reduce competition among coyotes and result in more resources and reproduction for the remaining or recolonizing coyotes. In our modern environment, sometimes managing and controlling wild animals is necessary. But in this case, it just would not produce the desired outcome. 
The best advice, which people are generally less receptive to, is that cleaning up our own "habitats" and "nests" is the key to reducing conflicts with urban wildlife. This applies to coyotes, rats, pigeons, etc. For example, several studies have shown that urban/suburban coyotes use trash, pet food and pets left outside as their food source. Remove those items, and coyotes will have no reason to hang around. While I am sympathetic to anyone losing a loved pet, pets should not be left outside to roam around unsupervised. It's shunting the burden of responsibility from the pet owner to the wildlife species they come in contact with.
There are three reasons to not leave your pet outside unattended: (1) it's not safe for them, as this article makes clear; (2) it's not safe for wildlife — many studies have documented the huge impacts domestic cats have, especially on wild bird populations; and (3) it’s irresponsible, especially if you let your animals roam free. We live in Laurel Park and have three cats that regularly hang around in our yard, with their droppings left after they return to their owners. If neighbor annoyance isn't enough of a deterrent, keep in mind that coyotes have an excellent sense of smell, and will use those droppings and urine as a trail to where Fluffy lives.
Jonathan Richardson
Fairview Avenue

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