The Town of Addison Animal Control Department has recently received several calls about coyote sightings along the White Rock Trail area. While coyotes can seem foreign in an urban environment, they are in fact not new or unique to Addison. Coyotes are in the Addison area year-round, and it is not uncommon to see an increase in coyote sightings during winter months. The Town relies on the practices and advice of the Texas Department of Parks & Wildlife regarding how to address coyotes and other urban wildlife.
According to the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife, the behavior of healthy coyotes is very predictable. They avoid and evade people. For coyotes to attack a human is inordinately rare. Unless there is an unhealthy coyote, the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife does not recommend trapping and relocating coyotes. They recommend public education to inform and empower people to take steps to coexist with coyotes and other urban wildlife.
If there is an unhealthy coyote present (one that is not acting in conformance with its predictable behavior), then the Texas Department of Parks & Wildlife will work with the Town to remove it. Should our Animal Control Department receive confirmed reports of dangerous behavior of any animal, they will take immediate steps to mitigate the public risk. The presence of a coyote (or other wild animals) alone is not sufficient to consider the animal dangerous, especially if it is behaving in conformance with its predictable behavior.
The Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife provides the following common-sense precautions people can take to manage coyotes:
- Do not feed coyotes (either intentionally or unintentionally).
- Keep pet food and water inside.
- Keep garbage securely stored, especially if it has to be put on the curb for collection; use tight-locking or bungee-cord-wrapped trashcans that are not easily opened. Feeding urban wildlife unintentionally means leaving out trash, tossing out food scraps, leaving out pet food.
- Keep compost piles securely covered; correct composting never includes animal matter like bones or fat, which can draw coyotes even more quickly than decomposing vegetable matter.
- Keep pets inside, confined securely in a kennel or covered exercise yard, or within the close presence of an adult.
- Walk pets on a leash and accompany them outside, especially at night.
- Do not feed wildlife on the ground; keep wild bird seed in feeders designed for birds elevated or hanging above ground and clean up spilled seed from the ground; coyotes can either be drawn directly to the seed, or to the rodents drawn to the seed.
- Keep fruit trees fenced or pick up fruit that falls to the ground.
- Do not feed feral cats (domestics gone wild); this can encourage coyotes to prey on cats, as well as feed on cat food left out for them.
- Minimize clusters of shrubs, trees, and other cover and food plants near buildings and children's play areas to avoid attracting rodents and small mammals that will in turn attract coyotes
- Use noise-making and other scaring or hazing devices/tactics when coyotes are seen to scare them away. Portable air horns, motor vehicle horns, propane cannons, low-powered pellet guns, slingshots, raising your arms and yelling, and throwing rocks can all be effective.
Animal Control staff continue to consult the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife experts to ensure that Addison is following best practices and sharing the latest information.
If you have any questions, please contact Addison's Animal Control Department at addisonanimalcontrol@addisontx.gov or 972-450-2845. They can be reached on nights and weekends by calling the non-emergency public safety number at 972-450-7156.
