I was told a dreadful but true account yesterday of a coyote that killed a friend’s colt earlier this year in Berks County. I sat there, not in disbelief, but saddened and horrified that the mother tried to separate the coyote and her colt by placing herself between them. However, her efforts were in vain as the coyote grabbed, killed and drug it away while the mother had to watch. And this happened in Lower Alsace Township. Not too far from me.
No, this isn’t the first time we are hearing about coyotes in our area. There was an article in the Reading Eagle not too long ago about a couple that was approached by a coyote in Charles Evans Cemetery while lying on a blanket. From what I was told, they made it safely to their car.
Back in March of this year, a coyote was found in a residential area on Court Street. Most likely looking for rabbits or other small prey. The city police and the Animal Rescue League retrieved the coyote and set it free at a undisclosed area.
I also wrote about Valley Forge Historical Park that has been inundated with deer. One suggestion that was brought forth was to bring in coyotes to kill the excess. People were outraged. Valley Forge opted to use sharp shooters to kill the coyotes, like Charles Evans Cemetery did to get rid of their deer “problem”.
So why are coyotes living in our area and where did they come from? And the coyotes in our area are of the coyote-wolf hybrid. This means they are larger and weigh more. The typical coyote found in western PA is approximately 20-35 lbs. Eastern PA find their coyotes to weigh 35-40 even up to 60 lbs.
Because of their larger size, their skulls are wide and their jaws more powerful. They pose a real threat to small animals, including your pet. They normally prey on smaller animals. But it’s obvious that the coyotes in our area are larger having the capability to kill a colt.
Because coyotes are prey animals and they are not afraid to wander into the city and other suburbs, we must be careful with our pets. You can’t trust your pet to be outside alone. Coyotes are normally nocturnal animals but will come out during the day when hungry.
Coyotes are normally afraid of people but a rabid coyote isn’t. All I can say is be alert.
But the question remains for me, how did coyotes land in PA? They live in all 67 counties. Have you seen any coyotes in Berks County?