I know this isn't much of a blog here, with posts showing up about every two months, but I think it's still worth sharing any useful or interesting coyote news that pops up from time to time.
Today's bit is a link to an article last week on SouthCoastToday.com about a 130-pound black Lab that was bitten by a coyote in Dartmouth. The dog has recovered, so no tragic cute-dog-eaten-story this time, but the notable thing here is the size of the victim. This dog is big -- a lot bigger than the attacker, unless Eastern Coyotes have started breeding with bears.
A biologist at the Mass. Division of Fisheries and Wildlife does mention that when a coyote attacks a bigger animal like this, it's usually a case of the coyote protecting (what it thinks is) its territory.
Who knows when and where coyotes will feel territorial like this, but the point is that 10-pound terriers aren't the only ones at risk.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
This morning, Sept. 4, 2009, at about 7:10 I was driving down Dunster Road from Centre Street towards Jamaica Pond. When I was in front of 100 Dunster, I saw a cayote trotting down the sidewalk on the south side of the street. It was fawn colored and larger than any other I had seen before, about the size of a skinny German Shepard. When I stopped the car to look it continued down the street towards Dane Street.
This morning, September 4, 2009, at about 7:10 while driving down Dunster Road towards the pond, I saw a cayote trotting down the sidewalk on the south side of the street in front of 100 Dunster. It was fawn colored and larger that any I had seen before, about the size of a thin, small German Shepard.
Julie
I live at 100 Dunster Rd. Friday, Sept. 4, when I went out to get my newspapers, I saw this same coyote right in front of my house. He was very large and seemed to becoming out of our driveway. I had just let my cat out the backdoor, so rushed in to get him back into the house.
I, too, saw the coyote at 100 Dunster on Sept 4. I was walking my dog on the sidewalk and saw the coyote pouncing in and out of the shrubs in front of 100 Dunster. I shouted at the coyote who trotted off down the sidewalk. After the coyote had left, a large ginger and orange cat emerged from the shrubs and ran down the driveway and into the back yard.
This is my third coyote sighting in 3 weeks. The first was on Aug 18, across from 56 Prince St when I saw a coyote leap up a tree to grab a neighbor's cat. After a tussle at the base of the tree, the coyote trotted down the middle of the street holding the cat by the scruff of its neck. Later on that day, another neighbor found the cat's body in his yard.
The second sighting was of a coyote trotting down the sidewalk of Prince St. on Aug 28.
I heard there was a coyote around the Eliot Street/Eliot Place area around a week or two ago (Sept. 13). I want to warn cat owners to keep the cats in. Can you help?
Rhea,
My best advice would be simply to post a few signs or fliers about the coyote sightings. Signs are how I first learned of coyotes in JP. And you can post your message as far and wide as you'd like.
One other possibility--and I don't know if this even exists--is to see if MSPCA has any kind of pet-owner network or email list you could gain access to.
Sorry I can't offer more.
Post a Comment