I finally saw a coyote running down 112th Ave NE last night around 11 PM.  A coyote in the headlights!  I’ve heard from neighbors and my husband over the last few weeks that a coyote or coyotes are living amongst us in the greenbelt areas of the Highlands.    I live over by the west side of the Kirkland Highlands, where more of the greenbelt areas seem to be.  These greenbelt areas provide a safe haven for wild animals.  Raccoons have been here for a long time, but coyotes seem to be our newest neighbors.  A word to the wise:  keep your outdoor cats inside.  The coyote is trolling for food at night and sometimes even during the day!  Coyotes have taller, thin legs and big ears, easy to distinguish from a dog.  Does anyone have a picture of the coyote?  It was too dark last night for me to take a photo.  This photo is from Microsoft Clip Art.

coyote

Here’s a reminder from Karen Story’s email message from The Washington State website about coyote safety:

Coyotes have been seen at all times of day, so small pets are not safe
outdoors at any time.

Website excerpts:

Don’t leave small children unattended where coyotes are frequently
seen or heard. If there are coyote sightings in your area, prepare
your children for a possible encounter. Explain the reasons why
coyotes live there (habitat/food source/species adaptability) and what
they should do if one approaches them (don’t run; be as big, mean, and
loud as possible). By shouting a set phrase such as “go away coyote”
when they encounter one, children will effectively inform nearby
adults of the coyote’s presence. Demonstrate and rehearse encounter
behavior with the children.

Never feed coyotes. Coyotes that are fed by people often lose their
fear of humans and develop a territorial attitude that may lead to
aggressive behavior. Try to educate your friends and neighbors about
the problems associated with feeding coyotes. If you belong to a
homeowner’s association or neighborhood watch, bring up the subject
during one of the meetings.

Don’t give coyotes access to garbage. Keep garbage can lids on tight
by securing them with rope, chain, bungee cords, or weights. Better
yet, buy quality garbage cans with clamps or other mechanisms that
hold lids on. To prevent tipping, secure the side handles to metal or
wooden stakes driven into the ground. Or keep your cans in tight-
fitting bins, a shed, or a garage.

Prevent access to fruit and compost. Keep fruit trees fenced, or pick
up fruit that falls to the ground. Keep compost piles within a fenced
area or securely covered. Cover new compost material with soil or lime
to prevent it from smelling. Never include animal matter in your
compost; it attracts coyotes. If burying food scraps, cover them with
at least 12 inches of soil, and don’t leave any garbage above ground
in the area – including the stinky shovel.

Feed dogs and cats indoors. If you must feed your pets outside, do so
in the morning or at midday, and pick up food, water bowls, leftovers,
and spilled food well before dark every day.

Don’t feed feral cats (domestic cats gone wild). Coyotes prey on these
cats as well as any feed you leave out for the feral cats.

Prevent the buildup of feeder foods under bird feeders. Coyotes will
eat bird food and are attracted to the many birds and rodents that
come to feeders.

Keep dogs and cats indoors, especially from dusk to dawn.

Modify the landscape around children’s play areas. Shrubs and trees
should be pruned several feet above ground level so coyotes can’t hide
in them. Keep deterrents nearby in times of increased sightings. An
old hockey stick, broom, or a pile of stones near the play area can
help prepare children for an encounter and will remind them of
effective encounter behavior.

Build a coyote-proof fence. Coyotes don’t leap fences in a single
bound but, like domestic dogs, they grip the top with their front paws
and kick themselves upward and over with the back legs. Their tendency
to climb will depend on the individual animal and its motivation. A 5-
foot woven-wire fence with extenders facing outward at the top of each
post should prevent coyotes from climbing over.

However, all coyotes are excellent diggers, and an effective fence
needs to extend at least 8 inches below the surface, or have a
galvanized-wire apron that extends out from the fence at least 15
inches.