Lincoln Animal Control received more than 250 calls on coyote sightings since June 2020.
Animal Control Manager Steve Beal says, “Seeing coyotes in your neighborhood isn’t necessarily a cause for alarm and most people can live in close proximity to coyotes without conflict.”
Beal says there are a number of factors as to why coyotes are in urban areas. They can thrive in parks, common areas and trails. These areas also attract other wildlife like rabbits, mice, and squirrels that coyotes hunt for food. They also eat berries, nuts and fruit. However, they also like garbage so will hunt for scraps in bins at homes and restaurants.
Beal urged residents to follow these coyote encounter tips:
Do not feed coyotes under any circumstances. Feeding coyotes invites them into your space. The majority of cases where coyotes come within close proximity to people is due to people feeding coyotes.
Obey leash laws. An uncontrolled dog can lead to a coyote confrontation.
Keep sources of food away from wildlife, such as garbage, pet food, bird feeders, squirrel feeders (corn), brush piles, compost piles, and easy access to water. Brush piles harbor rodents and rabbits while bird feeders attract squirrels and rodents, which are all food sources for coyotes. Keep all pets indoors at night, especially smaller dogs and cats.
If you do encounter a coyote, stay calm and haze the coyote. Hazing is a method that makes use of deterrents to move an animal away from an area or discourage undesirable behaviors or activities. Try blowing a whistle or sounding off an air horn, raise your hands and yell. Throw sticks or rocks toward the coyote. Continue making noise and hazing the coyote until it moves on.
Beal said Animal Control is working to minimize the problem by:
- Posting signs in parks and walking/hiking trails
- Working with Lincoln Parks and Recreation on educational efforts
- Patrolling areas where coyotes have been reported
- Talking to neighbor residents about coyotes and doing face-to-face education
- Taking calls from the public regarding sighting locations, logging officer reports and posting coyote sightings on a map to better analyze their locations and movement
Contact Animal Control at 402-441-7900 or animal@lincoln.ne.gov.
Map from LLCHD.