Coyotes in Our Lives

From APD

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Coyotes in Our Lives

Dear Foothills Neighbors,

Recently I encountered a coyote that followed me while I was walking to work in the early morning to the Foothills Area Command Substation. This female coyote approached from Manzano High School’s east parking lot and walked up Roma, then parallel with me to the station and exited to Lomas through the station’s parking lot. A few days later in the late afternoon my husband was out for a run and had one follow him on the Tramway Trail from Lomas to Indian School. On his return leg back along Tramway he encountered the same coyote walking parallel with him and the coyote then wandered up Indian School towards the Fire Station area. It occurred to me that it may be timely to ask Sergeant Meisinger of Open Space (839-6400) for a few recommendations on living with coyotes in our area.

The Sergeant recommends:
• Remember coyotes are naturally afraid of humans but some may have been conditioned otherwise
• Never attempt to feed a coyote or leave pet food/water outside
• Always remember coyotes are wild animals and hunters
• If a coyote follows you or walks parallel with you, they are most likely guarding pups or a food supply and do not want you in the area
• If threatened, it is acceptable to squirt water or toss a rock in the area of the coyote, but do not pelt the animal with rocks!! This is not only cruel, but illegal and if the coyote gets injured, you have put it into a position of fighting for its life
• If encountered, do not turn your back and run away; just calmly walk off
• If you encounter a coyote that seems overly aggressive, please call Open Space, Animal Control (both via 242-COPS/2677) or NM Game & Fish right away.
• It is rare for a coyote to attack an adult; they are more interested in small pets or in a very rare case, a child, as a meal.
• If you do get attacked, fight hard!
• We have to share our space with all sorts of animals and living creatures who stare at us as we whiz by in crazy outfits and throw off unnatural odors

Please stay safe while enjoying the beautiful gifts of living in the Foothills area,

Jill Garcia, Crime Prevention Specialist
Foothills Area Command, APD
332-5240