Coyotes Come Out In The Cove

Coyotes have been spotted darting across the fields at East Shore Park and lurking around the marsh. One started regularly emerging from the fence at Tweed Airport around 1 a.m. A particularly relaxed coyote was photographed sunning itself right in the middle of the road.

The coyotes sightings have become more common lately in Morris Cove, with neighbors sharing information about run-ins during casual conversation and online, on the Nextdoor neighborhood messaging site. (The issue pops up again from time to time; click here for a previous story.)

Morris Cove has East Shore Park and the wilder Fort Wooster Park, Lighthouse Point Park and the neighboring Morris Creek Nature Preserve. They are part of a chain of parks stretching into East Haven and North Haven. They provide refuges and open spaces that city-dwelling humans like. They also help maintain a habitat for coyotes and other wildlife.

Morris Cove residents wonder how best to handle the coyotes. Some worry that the animals could hurt or kill pets — or even people, although coyote attacks on humans are rare, and none have been reported in the New Haven area, according to authorities.

The sightings create another kind of anxiety, too: People worry about how to handle their neighbors’ reactions to them. Some are fervent in their desire to protect the animals at all costs, while others feel erring on the side of caution, and maintaining a little fear, is a better tactic.

Kim Velez, who has been an active commenter on the online discussions, is in the former camp.

“I get irritated and some of my comments don’t come out that nice,” she admitted in a phone interview. When neighbors have posted alerts about coyote sightings, she’s reminded them the coyotes were here first. An avid animal lover and rescuer, Velez said her passion comes from a good place. She believes the ​“warnings” and other expressions of fear about coyotes happen because people don’t know enough about the animals and their right to roam the land.

“They’re not a problem. People are afraid because they don’t understand,” she said.

Velez, who lost one of her own cats to a coyote, urges pet owners to keep cats inside and dogs leashed in order to avoid run-ins with coyotes, who have allegedly attacked small animals in the neighborhood. (See this 2009 Independent story, though be forewarned: The photographed aftermath is gruesome.)

But people shouldn’t be scared, said Velez, who speaks from her own experience.

“They will walk away from you,” Velez said. ​“When they don’t, it’s because they have become accustomed to living with humans.”

That’s correct, according to Lt. Jason Rentkowicz, the East Shore’s top cop. He said that residents have reported coyotes to New Haven police dispatch, to animal control, and to him directly.

“Our state and cities changed a lot over the past hundred years. Those changes impacted the natural habitats of many species. Coyotes found themselves venturing out of the woods and into cities where they could more easily scavenge for food,” Rentokowicz wrote in an email. ​“Garbage pails conveniently left out at the curb, litter, and the abundance of squirrels and other varmints around here make for easy meals. The more time coyotes spend in urban environments, the more comfortable they get.”

Rentkowitz said authorities’ first concern is public safety. If someone believes there is a danger from wildlife, or sees a sick or injured animal, calling police or animal control is the right thing to do. That being said, during all coyote-related complaints so far, officers encountered non-aggressive animals at the scene that ran off when approached. Although rumor has it that coyotes are the culprit in several cat disappearances, he said he hasn’t received reports of pet attacks.

There is no way to ethically or effectively remove coyotes, he said. He said the best way to alleviate fear is through education.

The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has a wealth of information on its website. Rentkowitz shared some of his own practical safety tips: never feed coyotes; supervise pets during outdoor time; secure your garbage; don’t try to pet coyotes (they are wild animals); and never try to capture a coyote, which is illegal, and can result in them being injured. 

He said he gets a lot of complaints about one coyote, in particular, roaming the Cove, nicknamed Tripod, since he only has three legs. The rehabbed animal is not aggressive and has never been a problem, he said. His injury could be the result of a homemade snare.

Rentkowitz shared collected wisdom, along with representatives from Animal Control and DEEP, at a community meeting to discuss wildlife concerns in February, organized by Morris Cove Alder Jody Ortiz. She organized the information session in part because of the online messages she’d observed from Cove residents, confused about how to handle the animals and often fighting amongst themselves.

Many believe that coyotes are now more prevalent in the neighborhood as the result of actions at Tweed airport (another contentious topic in the Cove).

“The connection should be made that the coyote incursion is related to the wildlife fence constructed at Tweed Airport, which significantly reduced their habitat,” wrote Rachel Heerema on the Nextdoor site. The fence was constructed in 2014 to keep animals — like a deer that was struck by a plane in 2012 — off the runway.

Tim Larson, executive director at the airport, has said in the past that Tweed has a wildlife mitigation program, which includes sounding air horns to scare animals away so they do not interfere with planes. He said the practice does not disturb coyote dens.

Whatever the reason for their prevalence, the coyotes are most likely staying put.

Many Cove residents, like Ellen Scanley, are coming to grips with that. ​“They seem to mind their own business. I don’t mind them being around, find them kind of interesting and don’t want them being killed,” she said.

Rentkowicz said he will continue to educate the public, and hopes that residents will do the same for themselves.

“Wildlife is a part of our communities,” he said. ​“After being educated on the species they live with, many of the uneasy residents expressed an acceptance and even an appreciation for them; even coyotes.”