A Decatur neighborhood is the latest in the metro Atlanta area to report problems with coyotes allegedly attacking pets and frightening people, Channel 2 Action News reports.
A woman told Channel 2 how a coyote killed her cat recently along East Parkwood Road near Ponce de Leon Avenue.
“I was sitting at the window,” Christy Bosarge said. “I heard a noise that sounded like a confrontation with my cat – you know, a dog and cat screaming – so within seconds, I went out the front door.”
Bosarge said she screamed and chased the coyote away, but it was too late for her cat Zeah.
The woman is now leading an effort to get Decatur city officials to develop a plan for dealing with coyotes – even if that means trapping and killing the animals. She and other residents plan to attend a City Council meeting on Dec. 5 to demand action.
Decatur City Manager Peggy Merriss told Channel 2 that her staff is encouraging residents to try to learn to live with the coyotes, and offers tips, such as keeping all cat and dog food inside.
“For the folks who are very concerned about the coyotes and would like them trapped, there is an equal number who believe the natural environment should be protected,” Merriss said.
According to a coyote facts website of the Wildlife Resources Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, coyotes have expanded their range throughout North America and have found Georgia to be a hospitable place, given ready supplies of food from rodents to pet food to garbage.
The state DNR and the Atlanta Wild Animal Rescue Effort (AWARE) say residents can reduce the chances of unwanted coyote encounters:
-- Keep an eye on your pets, take them indoors and night and don’t let them wander from one’s yard.
-- If pets must be kept outside, put up fencing to discourage coyotes.
-- Don’t leave pet food bowls outdoors; coyotes are attracted by the smell.
-- Keep small livestock or poultry in an enclosed or sheltered area.
-- Get lock-top garbage cans and attach them to the house or fence, or build an enclosure for them.
-- If you encounter a coyote, clap your hands, yell and generally make a ruckus to scare it away.
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