NAHANT — It’s coyote season, and police are warning residents to keep an eye on their pets.
Police Chief Robert Dwyer said his department has received several complaints from residents in the last 90 days regarding coyotes seen wandering the area.
In the chance of a face-to-face encounter with the animal, he reminded residents to keep their wits about them.
“Don’t let coyotes intimidate you,” Dwyer said. “Pay attention to your surroundings when walking your pet, and don’t hesitate to scare or threaten coyotes with loud noises or bright lights.”
To prevent attracting coyotes, which are characterized by the Massachusetts Department of Wildlife as “opportunistic feeders,” he asked that residents secure their garbage, refrain from feeding or approaching any coyotes they encounter, keep pets restrained, keep bird feeder areas clean, feed pets inside, and close off any crawl spaces with access to the outside.
He added coyotes “are out night and day” and are generally easily moved along.
“You want to make it difficult for them, feeding-wise,” Dwyer previously told The Item, 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.”
In February, Nahant police issued the same warnings after a resident’s dog was attacked by a pack of coyotes in the resident’s back yard. The dog suffered multiple gashes to its leg and backside in the attack and had to be taken to a nearby vet for treatment.
According to Masswildlife, encounters with domestic pets do not qualify as a public safety issue and therefore relocation is not an option as a result of an attack.
The state of Massachusetts provides information on their website about what residents should do when confronted by a coyote, and more information about how to keep pets safe is available at mass.gov/service-details/learn-about-coyotes.
Anyone experiencing problems with coyotes, or anyone with questions about coyotes in general, can visit mass.gov/learn-about-wildlife, or contact Northeast Wildlife District, Ayer at 978-772-2145.
