Wild animals on the prowl in Saugus; several pets killed

SAUGUS – Wild animals seeking food are playing for keeps and pet owners need to keep a close eye on their furry companions.According to K-9 Control Officer Harold Young, a fox snatched a rabbit last week as its horrified owner looked on, and Monday a coyote carried off a Pekinese.Young said a Dudley Street woman was letting her four-year old pet rabbit exercise on the front porch last Friday, using barriers so the bunny wouldn’t slip off the porch. But danger slipped onto the porch when a fox came over the railing, snapped up the rabbit and took off.Young said another incident occurred Monday night after an Arcadia Street family put their two small dogs out before going to bed.”They must have gone back into the house,” he said. “They said they heard a lot of yelping.”When the couple raced out to the yard, they found one Pekinese had been severely injured and there was no sign of the other one.Young said both incidents are perfect examples of what he has been trying to warn residents about all winter.Last week, two cats were also reported missing from the same area. A small charcoal colored shorthaired cat was also found dead on Houston Avenue.”It could have been from a car or it could have been from being shaken – that’s how a coyote kills its prey. We just don’t know,” Young said, imploring residents to keep a close watch on their pets.”You still need to keep cats and any small animals inside,” he said. “Coyotes, foxes, they don’t see your animals as pets. They see them as food.”Young said a resident from the Bow Street area also called to report three fisher cats in the area.Fisher cats are slender, agile animals similar to martens. They are most often found in forested areas with high canopy, but Young said developmental patters and lifestyle changes are driving fisher cats and other wildlife into residential areas. He said creatures that were once considered mainly nocturnal have been spotted during the day foraging for food.”Habits change because their homes have changed,” Young said. “A woman saw a skunk last week in the middle of day. She said she thought they were nocturnal. Not anymore.”He said the resident asked to have the fisher cats trapped and removed, but Young said unless the animals are sick that won’t happen.”You can’t dump them in someone else’s backyard,” he said. “They’re looking for food. Don’t feed them or they’ll become dependent on you and if you don’t feed them they could bite you.”