TOLEDO, Ohio — The City of Toledo says several people have spotted coyotes recently in Ottawa Park.
Usually coyotes avoid humans, however there are exceptions, especially if a person is too close to their den where their pups are sheltered or when they have been fed by humans.
Pup season for coyotes starts in April and lasts until August.
The City of Toledo also said that coyotes are very unlikely to attack unless provoked.
Below are some tips on how you can avoid attracting coyotes:
- Avoid feeding pets outside.
- If you compost, use enclosed bins and never compost meat or fish scraps.
- Clean up spilled bird seed around feeders.
- Remove fallen fruit from the ground.
- Keep trash in high-quality containers with tight-fitting lids
More tips on how to keep your home and pets safe can be found here.
People who walk through parks and wooded areas with their dog should have their pet on a leash at all times.
If ever a pet owner and their dog are confronted or followed by a parent coyote, the Humane Society of the United States suggests to not run away and instead haze the coyote with with the following techniques:
- Yell and wave your arms while approaching the coyote.
- Use noisemakers (your voice, whistles, air horns, bells, soda cans filled with pennies or dead batteries, pots and pans banged together).
- Use projectiles (e.g. sticks, small rocks, cans, tennis balls, rubber balls).
- Try other repellents (e.g. hoses, water guns with vinegar water, spray bottles with vinegar water, pepper spray, bear repellent, or walking sticks)
The point of hazing a coyote is to appear "loud and large." When hazing a coyote it's important to continue to do so until the coyote leaves completely.
You can find more hazing tips and information on how to deal with coyote encounters here.
