Coyotes may be looking for food and protection, making pets a target, police said.
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GWINNETT COUNTY, GA — Coyotes have been spotted in Gwinnett County, and police are warning residents to keep them and their pets safe.
“We have received reports of coyote sightings in the area,” Gwinnett County Police said Thursday, without disclosing where specifically the coyotes were seen.
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Police said breeding season for coyotes is from late February to early March, and coyotes may be looking for food and protection, making pets a target.
According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, coyotes can be found in suburban and urban areas.
“The coyote resembles a medium-sized dog, weighing 25–45 pounds, with spotted fur and a bushy tail. They communicate by high-pitched yelps, howls, barks, and growls. or yips heard at night. Although coyotes usually live in small family groups, they are primarily solitary hunters. Coyotes are omnivores and their diet depends on which foods are most readily available, including small mammals, such as mice and voles, dead animals, and soft and hard fruit, such as berries and acorns,” the DNR said.
Although the DNR says that simply seeing a coyote shouldn’t be a concern, coyotes and humans sharing space can create conflict.
The DNR advises the following:
• Do not feed or approach coyotes.
• Secure food attractants such as garbage, pet food and bird seed.
» Feed pets indoors if possible. If pets must be fed outside, remove food bowls when finished.
» Remove excess bird seed from the soil that may attract mice to your yard, which in turn attracts coyotes.
• Cloud, or scare, coyotes out of your yard. Coyotes are naturally wary of humans. Consistent hazing helps maintain this
fear of people whole.
» Bang pots and pans, shout or use an air horn.
» Use a water hose or motion activated sprinkler to move coyotes to a safe distance.
• Close crawl spaces to prevent coyotes from using these spaces as dens
Police offered the following safety tips to protect against coyotes:
• Do not leave small pets unattended, even in a yard. Attacks can occur while the animals are off-leash in a fenced yard.
• Cats and small dogs should not be left outside at night. Attacks are most common between 7 pm-7 am, while cat attacks are more likely to occur between 10 pm-5 am
• Do not leave food or garbage out at night. Coyotes that eat human or pet food are more likely to attack pets. It should be noted that coyote attacks on humans are not uncommon. Most of the reports in the area are just sightings, not actual attacks on pets or people.
