Editor,
The “Carmel’s carnivores” headline for the Feb. 25 Current article about coyotes seemed needlessly inflammatory. People and their pet dogs and cats are carnivorous, too.
Fear resulting from increased coyote sightings led to a discussion at the Feb. 17 City Council meeting, viewable on video at Carmel’s website. The overall emphasis from professionals was the need to educate the public to enable coexistence. Several residents agreed.
Coyotes are naturally afraid of humans. Coyotes only need to be removed if they become too habituated (due to people feeding them, directly or indirectly) or in rare instances when they become aggressive. In reality, trapped coyotes are not “humanely relocated.” They are shot.
The brutal winter starvation, and increased visibility due to breeding season will both be over soon. There are simple ways to scare off coyotes and to avoid attracting them. Supervising pets is just part of living in suburbs, where development displaces the wildlife. I would never leave a small pet unattended outside (even fenced) because hawks, owls, foxes, coyotes, as well as free-roaming pet dogs and cats visit my yard. I enjoy wildlife, and it’s certainly not possible or desirable to kill all those animals as a precaution.
I am dismayed to read that the Mayor and “many officials” have already “promised to hire trappers.” Most coyotes are not a problem, so it seems reasonable to give nonlethal solutions every chance to work first, and to address rare problem coyotes individually instead of indiscriminately killing. Given the adaptations coyotes have been forced to make to survive, surely people can make some minor adjustments to their own behavior so that coyotes can continue to live here, too.
In 2012 Cool Creek Park in Westfield hosted a very informative and helpful presentation about coyotes. I hope Carmel will promptly provide its own informational programs.
Dee Fox, 46032