Coyote Attacks Toddler In Griffith Park....

[WillieBoy]

Here's a scary coyote story about the dangers of letting coyotes get to cozy around humans...!

http://articles.latimes.com/keyword/coyote-attack/recent/5

 

[woodmort]

That was 1995--I'm sure in 15 years the problem has been resolved.

 

[desertdarlene]

In southern California, it's not unheard of coyotes attacking small children, but it's very rare. Coyotes are everywhere because most cities in this region have small canyons and wildlife corridors snaking in and out between homes. They can even be in the middle of large urban areas. And, coyotes have benefited from human activities in terms of easily accessible garbage and small pets being available as prey.

 

[WillieBoy]

So what if the toddler attack was in 1995..? That means its okay, it doesn't matter today...? Give me a break, really...! If its so important to you woodmort that its a more recent attack, do a yahoo or google search. You will find that a person was recently attacked in NY's central Park,by coyotes...
The fact is, left unchecked,coyotes will become more brazen and dangerous.Not only for livestock, but for children and adults. Did you not read in the coyote thread you started that a coyote was recently stalking a child walking to the bus stop...! Is that okay...? You can play nice coyote woodmort, but don't come crying when coyotes wipe out you livestock or chew up a grandchild if you have one...
Any resposible livestock keeper/parent would not let coyotes run wild on their property, waiting to see if the will do harm...Its a fact of life, that near man they do cause harm to humans and livestock....SSS....SSS...if they get to close...

 

[CMV]

Quote:
I hardly think that Woodmort is advocating letting coyotes run amok. He is however pointing out that they are here to stay. Their incredibly versatile nature and ability to live in close proximity to humans makes them a force to be reckoned with. As with most wild animals that become too habituated to humans there are always going to be problem animals that must be removed or destroyed, but the overwhelming majority of these animals simply want to live their lives and steer clear of trouble.

I let coyotes live on my acreage. They are part of the overall ecosystem in my area. By removing them I would be courting bigger problems in the form of rampant raccoons, unchecked feral cat populations, foxes climbing my fences and an explosion of pests. I do not consider myself to be irresponsible at all in doing this. I have a strong coop and run that is impervious to coyotes. And as a parent, I do not let my kid run wild without supervision. She has more to worry about from my rooster than from the resident coyotes.

 

[woodmort]

Thank you CMV. The point is these things happen but a child several thousand time more likely to be attacked by a dog than a coyote. Last year (2009) 60,000 people in NYS were treated in hospitals due to dog attacks and onlyone for a coyote. Does this mean we should SSS dogs? The truth is these animals are here to stay and if you want to use the odd attack here and there to claim they're dangerous you're painting them with too big a brush. I suspect since 1995 thousands of people have been bitten by poisonous snakes, hit by lightning, attacked by rabid skunks, coons, feral cats and dogs--in that time maybe 3 people have been attacked by coyotes. Heck 2 or 3 people were killed by grizzles this year alone.

The point is coyotes are wild animals and can be dangerous if they lose fear of humans. Consequently don't feed them, don't make food available to them by leaving garbage and pet food where they can get it, protect your pets and livestock so they won't become a food source, scare them if you see them by throwing things and shouting so they don't consider humans prey (running from them is the worst thing you can do) and try to control their behavior by making them wary through hunting and trapping as proscribed by law. But don't dredge up a 15-year old story to prove how dangerous they are.

 

[NYboy]

2010 in next town , the town of Rye 10 where attacked. 3 where adults, 7 where aged 12 to 3.

 

[sourland]

New Jersey, 2009 and 2010: multiplle attacks in multiple locations. Attacks were primarily after children and were caused by apparently non rabid hungry coyotes. Woodmort is right on the money. Increased trapping and shooting makes these animals much more respectful of humans and far less likely to attack.

 

[Becky89*]

That is exactly why i keep my dog close and my little ones in the a safe shelter the minute I hear them start yipping............That is scary stuPr

 

[woodmort]

Quote:
Are you sure or is this one of those urban myths that has run amok? The latest thing I read from NY DEC only referred to one 6-year old girl in Rye NY. Kids would be especially targeted not because of size but because they would try to run away.