Residents concerned coyote pack has lost its fear of humans

By K. Michelle Moran
C & G Staff Writer

GROSSE POINTE SHORES — An increasingly bold pack of coyotes living in the Shores is causing concern among residents, especially those with small pets.

Although the wild canines are said to be shy by nature, particularly around people, coyote-human encounters of late in the Shores are leading officials to conclude the animals have become accustomed to people and are less afraid of them.

Last week, a 13-year-old beagle was attacked in his front yard in the first block of Shoreham by a family of three coyotes. According to a police report, around 9:47 p.m. Oct. 18, a female resident at the house said she was in the yard trying to put the dog’s collar on when the coyotes — described as one large and two small — approached. According to police, the large coyote came toward the beagle aggressively and bit the dog on his right ear, resulting in a couple of small puncture wounds. The woman picked up the dog and dashed into the house, and the coyotes retreated.

Police responded to the scene but the coyotes were gone when they arrived.

According to police, the dog has had his shots and is expected to recover.

In another recent incident, a woman in the first block of Stonehurst told police a coyote faced down her, her husband, son and two dogs in their yard at 10:30 p.m. Oct. 12.

The woman said she realized something was going on when her dogs — which weigh more than 50 pounds and more than 60 pounds, respectively — started barking. She said the coyote didn’t move even after she and the other members of her family headed outside to confront the wild canine.

Shores Public Safety Director Stephen Poloni acknowledged the worrisome close encounters at the Oct. 20 Shores City Council meeting. He said the coyotes have been spotted “all over” the Shores, with the male normally gravitating toward the large wooded spaces of the Edsel and Eleanor Ford estate while the other two are regulars on the city’s south end.

“It is still an issue,” Poloni said. “The coyotes are still out there.”

Poloni said the Shores tried unsuccessfully last year to trap the coyotes. Neighboring Grosse Pointe Farms had better luck, capturing and getting rid of coyotes that had been living in the area of the Country Club of Detroit over the summer, he said.

The city will try to trap the coyotes again this winter, when wildlife professionals will be able to track them in the snow, Poloni said.

However, even if they’re able to get rid of this family, there’s no guarantee the Shores will be coyote-free, given what experts have already told officials.

“If we remove these coyotes, there’s a chance a bigger family will come in,” Poloni explained. “They’re very territorial.”

In the meantime, residents are urged to take their own steps to keep coyotes away from homes, such as not leaving pet food or garbage outdoors. The city has a list of dos and don’ts with regard to discouraging coyotes on its Web site, www.gpshoresmi.gov.