August 7, 2010

Coyotes!

The number of lost pet signs in our neighborhood has increased a lot in recent months. This sign appeared a couple of weeks ago on a corner where I have often seen both coyotes and the rabbits they hunt. (On the other side of the fence is a large expanse of undeveloped land.) Coyotes are not new here, but I suspect they have become bolder over time. And a lot of people somehow manage to remain oblivious. Folks who don't live here seem amazed when I tell them that in this heavily populated suburban area we have skunks, possums, raccoons, rabbits and coyotes, and that I wouldn't be greatly surprised if one day a mountain lion wandered in. I've had conversations with people from other areas who adamantly insist they they don't have coyotes, that there is no habitat nearby - until one day one jumps a fence and a neighbor's cat or dog is killed. I've faced individual coyotes on the street here and elsewhere. Wisely, they tend to treat humans with caution, but that isn't the same as fear. They are used to us. Our domestic pets are delicious, and easier to catch than the wild rodents they should be hunting.

1 comment :

  1. the sign is gone. If I had to guess, my guess would be it was removed by the bureaucrats who take down small signs put up by residents and who measure the width of signs storekeepers put in their own windows, but who refuse to do anything about the much-hated rolling billboards that continue to invade our streets.

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