Coyotes spotted in Coconut Creek; residents urged to protect pets, stay alert
Around 6 p.m. on Christmas night, Marlene Toupin was sitting with her friends outside her home in Deerfield Lake when she saw a coyote in the backyard.
"I used to work at the Pompano racetrack," she said. "There were a lot there all the time."
Toupin was sitting with her 7-pound poodle. Her guest had three dogs.
"I wasn't scared for me," she said. "I was scared for my dog."
Deerfield Lake is a community of about 200 mobile homes near Hillsboro Boulevard and Lyons Road in the north section of Coconut Creek
Toupin wasn't the only one in the neighborhood who saw coyotes. A few days before Christmas, Donna Scheidt was walking her golden retriever, Lily, when a coyote confronted her for the first time.
"It sniffed and tried to get around us," Scheidt said. "I kept slapping the leash; it took off the other way."
Coyotes are being seen more and more in Broward County, generally between dusk and dawn. They avoid humans, and while they prefer food in the wild (mice and squirrels), experts say that stray cats and small dogs can be easy prey.
Coconut Creek police are telling residents to be aware that coyotes are in the area and sharing tips to lessen encounters.
Protecting pets and yourself from coyotes
- Secure trash
- Don't leave pet food outside
- Never feed coyotes
- Stand your ground: make yourself seem as large as possible, pick up small dogs and children, wave hand(s) overhead, and make loud noises to frighten coyotes.
- Loud noises: shouting, screaming, use of a car horn, air horn or whistle can be helpful in scaring coyotes out of the area.
- Throwing objects: if the coyote does not back down, throwing any available object in its direction is the next step to defend yourself. Do not back a coyote into a corner, if the coyote has no way to escape, they may defend themselves.
- Protecting pets: keep them indoors overnight as well as during dusk and dawn hours due to the rise in coyote activity during this time. Always walk pets on a leash that is 6 feet or shorter and avoid heavily wooded areas after dark. Accompany pets when they go outside in the yard at night and make sure that your backyard has appropriate lighting.
Marlene Toupin said she bought an air horn to scare off coyotes and Donna Scheidt only walks Lily close to home at night.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will respond to reports of aggressive coyotes, but otherwise does not relocate them.