Beware coyotes don't eat your pet

by Kevin Olsen
staff reporter

t is not uncommon for coyotes to be spotted in the wooded areas of Palos Heights, but pet lovers should be aware after some gruesome findings in the past few weeks.

Bill Hoyle, who lives on Surrey Hill Road, just south of Community Park and east of Palos Community Hospital, heard two coyote yelps about three weeks ago near his front yard. Talking to neighbors the next day, two said they had heard a commotion outside at about the same time. One thought a coyote “nailed something” in the backyard, Hoyle said.

On Saturday morning, while walking his two German shepherds in the park, Hoyle found the severed head of a Chihuahua behind second base on one of the ball fields.

“What if some poor kid found that?” Hoyle said.

The next day Hoyle found a rabbit’s head in his backyard and on Monday night found a pelt, a hide from a small dog, in the park near the soccer field.

“What’s wrong with this picture?” Hoyle asked. “Three things in four days, this is a little beyond what I would say is unusual.”

Hoyle has seen other coyotes in Palos Heights, but is now keeping his dogs in at night and said people with smaller dogs or cats are at risk.

Palos Heights police Deputy Chief Dave Delaney said the department is aware of the reports in Community Park, but said it cannot do much about it.

“There’s not a lot we can do to control wildlife,” Delaney said.

The Police Department has hired a trapper before. Trappers relocate such coyotes, but Delaney said it is costly and does not always solve the problem. He added Palos Heights is a wooded area and there are definitely coyotes around.

If the police believe families are in immediate danger, it will bring in a trapper. He said coyotes are more afraid of people than people are afraid of them. His advice was for people to keep an eye on pets. If a coyote is spotted, he said shining a light and making loud noises should do the trick to make the coyotes run away.

If anyone has any problems or feels they are in danger, they can call the police at 448-5060.

This is part of the September 17, 2009 online edition of The Regional.

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