Coyotes can't be eliminated, but it's easy to minimize chance of attack
Duchess, the 5-month-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel who was attacked by a coyote in her Carpentersville backyard, is one lucky puppy.
She was attacked by a coyote in the early morning hours of Tuesday, dragged through the woods and sustained puncture wounds on her chest and one ear, and above her eye -- until her owner, John McMahon, found her lying in the snow after a frantic search.
But in talking to her owners, John and Mary McMahon, about the ordeal, I got the sense that the incident could have been avoided.
Mary told me one of her neighbors suggested they feed the wild animals "so they'll be nice."
That's probably the worst advice I have heard regarding wild animals living in residential areas.
If your neighbor is leaving food outside their homes for animals, I would suggest you have a polite conversation and request they discontinue the practice.
It is not safe for your pets, let alone your family members and friends who might be visiting.
Coyotes are not afraid of people. After reading the story about Duchess, a reader from Inverness relayed her story about a coyote that attacked her Shih Tzu in the front yard of her home, moments after friends pulled out of the driveway one evening.
Literature from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources specifically warns against feeding coyotes -- or any wild animal for that matter.
Feeding animals does not make them nice or more pleasant to be around. It makes them even more aggressive if there is no food when they want or expect it. If you forget to leave food out for these pack animals for one day, your puppy, cat or rabbit could become a meal.
Don't leave food out for coyotes. They'll just end up hanging around, loitering for food. Sure, they are hungry, but that doesn't mean you should invite them to the dinner table.
Let them fend for themselves, far away from your back porch and your neighbor's beloved pet pooch.
Don't leave food out for stray cats or other animals, either. Coyotes cannot differentiate food left for harmless stray kitties and what was left for them. They just smell and see a meal.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources offers these tips on how to avoid coyotes and prevent them from becoming a nuisance:
• Don't feed them.
• Limit availability of unintentional food sources, including pet food.
• Comply with laws that require restraint/oversight of pets.
• Recognize that coyotes are a permanent fixture in suburban landscapes.
• Recognize that removing all or most of the coyotes in an area is usually unrealistic, and always temporary.
• Hire someone licensed by the state when removal is deemed necessary.