She felt bad because she saw the coyote all by itself

From Coyotes Create Dangers and Divisions in New York Suburbs by Lisa W. Foderaro.

“Ten years ago, it was rare to see coyotes, but they have really exploded on the scene here,” said Capt. Richard Conkin of the Stamford Police Department. He said that starting in March, the animals seemed to become more aggressive. One resident had to fight a “small, scrappy coyote” off with a snow shovel. Another watched as the same coyote chased her shepherd mix to her front door, which she slammed on the animal seconds after her dog made it safely into the house.

Particularly vulnerable are dogs and cats whose owners have installed invisible electric fences, designed to keep the animals from wandering. They trap the pets in while allowing predators unfettered access to the yard.

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Coyotes, which as long as 75 years ago moved into the eastern United States from the West, are viewed by naturalists as a beneficial part of the ecosystem, because they keep rodents in check. They have been sighted in all 21 counties of New Jersey and every town in Connecticut.

They are now so well established — New York State has an estimated 14,500 breeding pairs — that any effort to reduce the population would be fruitless, officials say.

“They are an intelligent animal and quickly learn how to survive in their environment, whether that’s the Bronx or Clinton County,” said Gordon R. Batcheller, the chief wildlife biologist for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. “They are a permanent presence in New York.”

Throughout the region, animal control officers and private trappers work with homeowners and state wildlife officials to capture and euthanize problem or nuisance coyotes. That includes a coyote seen lurking around an elementary school, for example, or one that has preyed on pets in a particular neighborhood.

State officials generally do not allow such coyotes to be relocated because that would merely transfer the problem to another area.

Mostly, the message from wildlife officials is that residents in coyote country need to adapt. “Just like you keep an eye on your kid in the backyard, you keep an eye on your dog,” said Larry Hajna, a spokesman for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. “It’s not modifying your lifestyle; it’s just common sense.”

Tips for peaceful coexistence with coyotes include keeping dogs on leashes, feeding pets only indoors, hazing coyotes (shouting, waving one’s harms) to prevent their comfort with humans and reporting any bold or aggressive behavior.

Regrettably, common sense is not always in plentiful supply.

And coyotes themselves are not always the root of the problem. Two years ago, Mr. Horton offered his services pro bono when one was loitering outside his children’s elementary school in Hawthorne, N.Y. It turned out a neighborhood woman was feeding it.

“We found pork chops on the snow,” he recalled. “This lady lived right across from the school field, and she was feeding the coyote. Her response was that she felt bad because she saw the coyote all by itself.”