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Community Corner

Coyote Education

Dear Neighbors,

Many of you may have heard the news regarding coyotes that live in the wooded areas of our Virginia Highlands community. In brief, this is what has happened: an outdoor pet cat was killed and coyotes were suspects in the cat's death. An alarmed neighbor sent out a message regarding this, and another neighbor hired an exterminator to trap and kill the coyotes. No one else in the neighborhood was consulted. Although traps, even when placed on private property, can be a danger to all of us, our children and our pets, no signage was put out warning the community. Since trapping and killing coyotes is not going to make our area coyote-free and safe for roaming small pets, what happened next is not only senseless but also disturbing and cruel.

According to the neighbor who hired the trapper, a female coyote was caught in a leg-hold trap and taken away to be killed by the trapper. Then a male coyote was caught in the same kind of leg-hold trap and somehow the trap's attachment to the ground was broken off. Two weeks later, this maimed animal was spotted in our area with the trap still clamped on his leg. (If you see this animal, please call Don McGowan, Senior Wildlife Biologist, GA DNR 770.918.6416)

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Please note that the exterminator labels himself as a "wildlife relocator." In Georgia, by law, trapped coyotes may not be relocated. They are held in cages with their broken limbs for up to 72 hours, where urine is collected for the next round of coyote trapping, and then, are shot or sold to fox pens. "Relocator" implies humane treatment, but the coyotes that are not shot are sold to training facilities for hunting dogs where the coyotes are used as practice bait for dogs which catch them and, most often, maul them alive. Surely, none of us would knowingly play a part in this kind of needless and brutal suffering.

The alternative is as simple as educating ourselves. Coyotes will not approach humans unless taught to do so by humans feeding them. They will approach free-roaming small pets, but this can be avoided by following simple precautionary guidelines such as not letting small pets roam unattended and removing all food sources (including pet food and bird seed on the ground) from your yard.

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A group of concerned citizens has done the homework for us and cogently presents the facts regarding coyote behavior on their site: www.coyotecoexistence.com. When coyotes are removed, vacancies are created for other coyotes to move into the area. In addition, remaining coyotes will reproduce more, have larger litters and more puppies will survive to adulthood since there will be less competition for food. In other words, trapping and killing exacerbates the problem for all neighbors. Trappers cannot remove coyotes permanently and, if anything, trapping and killing guarantees more coyotes and future work for trappers.

Coyotes inhabit every neighborhood in Atlanta and are here to stay. The most effective and humane way of dealing with coyotes is to learn to coexist. Please see the video, "Coyotes As Neighbors" on the Coyote Coexistence site.

As a community, we need a well-informed, coordinated approach to this issue, and we should not accept that one individual makes decisions on his own when the entire community is affected and should have been included in the decision-making. We don’t want more coyotes moving in and reproducing more, we don't want leg-hold traps put out, and finally, we need to oppose inhumane treatment of animals.

Cathy Hudson

1161 Orme Circle, Apt. 1


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