Dead coyote found on Pine Island Road
A dead coyote was found along Pine Island Road in Little Pine Island last week.
Gary Morse, a spokesperson for Fish and Wildlife said coyotes, which are common in about all counties, are fairly well adaptable to different surroundings.
The animal, which typically weighs between 20-30 pounds, has even been found in urban areas.
Morse said St. Petersburg has had coyote issues for more than 20 years. He said they are pretty much adaptive to the state of Florida.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission website coyotes began entering the southeast in the 1960s and reached northwestern Florida in the 1970s. A recent study found that coyotes existed in all 67 counties of Florida with their presence in the Keys restricted to the upper Keys.
Morse said the same advice that is provided for bears and raccoons goes for coyotes as well.
“One thing you don’t want to do is have them habituated towards people, which means they will lose their fear,” he said.
Morse encourages individuals to put up their trash, so feeding activity is not encouraged for the coyote. He also said that individuals should monitor what food they are putting out for their dog or cat and always bring it inside when the animals are done eating.
“Don’t leave anything out that can attract a coyote,” Morse said. “You can create problems if you encourage coyotes to feed in your neighborhood.”
Although coyotes have been known to prey on small dogs and cats, he said they will not bother people.
“They generally don’t bother people, including children,” he said.