"Coyote Ugly?"

What DEM can do to help the public is to educate people about coyotes and how to keep the animals away. The most important thing people should understand is that coyotes are more often afraid of you than you are of them. In addition, everyone has to understand that if they put a pet outside, they are at risk to a number of factors. I am sure that every cat disappearance in my neighborhood and in yours, cannot be attributed to coyotes. I'm also sure that while it certainly does occur, any number of things can happen to cats and other small animals, including dogs.

One of the kids in our neighborhood said that she had gone into the woods with some friends and saw what resembled a coyote. The animal control officer in our town gets calls frequently complaining of coyote sightings. All he can do is refer the calls to DEM.

According to DEM literature, coyotes migrated from the western part of the country and first arrived in our state of Rhode Island in the 1970s. By the 1980s, their population was estimated at 400. They have apparently been spotted in every community in the state.

Coyotes weigh between 20 and 30 pounds, with large males up to 50 pounds. Their dense fur is a mix of gray, black and brown. They have narrow muzzles, erect ears and a long bushy black-tipped tail. They live in brushy areas bordering on fields and forests. Coyotes eat small rodents, birds, amphibians, fruits, berries and carrion. Cats, and to a lesser extent small dogs, are also their victims. The only reported coyote bite in the state was the result of an attempt to hand-feed the animal.

While humans aren't coyote prey, they have helped coyotes find a good meal. Coyotes are quite adaptable and they often supplement that with the trash we put out or the pet food containers we leave out.

DEM suggests that people should remove all food from outside their homes. Erecting fencing can help keep the coyotes away, as does marking the property lines with ammonia scent or concentrated urine, available in sporting goods stores. Loud noises usually scare the animals. And, oh yes, because coyotes tend to be active at dawn and dusk and during the night, keep your pets inside!

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