Some neighbors in the neighborhood near Shady Brook and Northwest Highway (Village apartment area) were awakened by the sounds of coyotes (one Redditor shared video of the chorus, below).
Coyotes going crazy at NW Highway & Shady Brook last night.
by u/Strikland_Cocaine in Dallas
“The Latin name for coyote is canis iatrans, which means singing dog. The coyote has 12 different vocalizations, some of them torturous to our ears, but to them (in many cases) it is a mating call,” we have learned from wildlife experts in Dallas.
More than one year ago the nearby Lake Highlands neighborhood experienced a rare instance of coyote-on-human violence, when one of the wild canines attacked a 2-year-old boy. That led to the creation of a coyote management plan and the appointment of a dedicated coyote expert in Dallas.
Remember, you can help Dallas’ animal experts learn more about local coyote behavior by reporting coyote sightings. Plus you’ll be adding to a public-facing map of all reported sightings and encounters.
Dallas’ coyote expert Jackie Sutherland says coyotes are quite content to live among people, especially when they connect a human with a food source.
“It makes them want to hang around.” And that turns into a habit for the animals and their offspring. So never feed them, she cautions.
Coyotes serve a vital role in the ecosystem by helping to control the population of rodents. That means they go where the rodents go — unsecured trash bins, for example.
Even feeding ducks and other birds can inadvertently attract coyotes, she says. An ordinance banning wildlife feeding will go to a City Council vote sometime this year, and Sutherland says it’s necessary.
Sutherland says that if everyone did their part to tackle the coyote-feeding problem, the risk of further injuries to humans would be almost nil.
More about Jackie and her coyote management kit here and here.
