NAHANT — It’s coyote season on the North Shore, and Nahant residents have taken notice.
Police Chief Robert Dwyer said that in recent weeks, his department has received several calls from Nahanters sharing reports of coyotes roaming around the town at all hours of the day.
Although the animals rarely display signs of aggression toward people, Dwyer said it’s a problem Nahant has wrestled with since 2010.
“They’ve been here quite a few years,” he said. “Back in 2010, it was the same deal.”
To solve the issue a decade ago, the town brought in an expert from Mass Wildlife and held a meeting at town hall to educate residents on coyotes and how to protect their properties and pets.
Now that the problem has seemingly resurfaced, Dwyer reiterated what residents were told in 2010: Don’t feed the coyotes, and don’t leave food options, like bird feeders or dog food, outside in yards.
“You want to make it difficult for them, feeding-wise,” he said, adding that calling the police for a simple sighting is unnecessary.
“If it’s just a sighting of a coyote, I don’t think it’s necessary to call the police,” he said. “However, if someone feels the coyote is sick or aggressive, or they feel that somebody is in danger, absolutely give us a call.
“We’ll get down there and see what’s going on.”
Swampscott Animal Control Officer Dan Proulx also said he was familiar with Nahant’s coyotes, adding that he suspected a young coyote rescued from a boat docked at Volunteer Yacht Club in Lynn last weekend actually made its way to the area from the neighboring town.
Although he found that particular rescue situation unusual, Proulx said this time of year is actually quite common for coyote mischief.
“There are a lot of wooded areas around here, and we have new pups born every year,” he said. “The young pups are venturing out because they’re old enough to get out there and be doing their thing.
“We live in a very wooded area. There are a lot of trees and a lot of wildlife around us, so a lot of people forget about that until they walk outside and there’s something sitting on their stairs.”
So with that being said, what should residents do if confronted with a wild coyote?
“I recommend giving it plenty of space,” Proulx said. “Maybe clap your hands, give it a little yell, they usually run off. They’re very skittish animals, so giving it a good holler or clapping your hands usually makes them run away.”
He added: “And keep your cats indoors. I recommend that.”
More information about interacting with wildlife is available online at mass.gov.
Elyse Carmosino can be reached at [email protected].
