Message from the Mayor: Coyotes, again. And goats.
Posted on: March 15, 2019 - 11:00pm
Fellow Residents;
We are reminded again that as dense a suburb as this may be, there is wildlife around us that cannot be ignored. Last night, a coyote attacked a dog let out in the backyard of a homeowner in our village. The dog put up a fight that drew the owner's attention, who drove the coyote off. The dog was not injured.
It is mating season, which can make coyotes aggressive, but that explanation is cold comfort, and that we have to educate ourselves on the mating habits of the animals in our midst speaks volumes. However. Coyotes are now imbedded in our ecology. They are not going anywhere: they are not readily trapped, hunted or otherwise shooed on. We have to live with them. Please: do not let your pets (dogs, cats or goats)(yes, more on that in a moment) roam free, apparently even in your own backyard, especially in the dark. If you think you have an "outside cat" or you think it's cool to let your dog off the leash in the woods, they and you may learn a very unpleasant lesson about predator and prey. Do NOT ever leave pet food outside for your animals (think about that for a second). If you encounter a coyote, yell and/or throw something at it - please do not run (or otherwise behave like prey.) We want them to remain scared of US, not the other way around. And if the animal (or ANY animal) advances on you, especially in daylight, *after* you have finished attempting to scare it, well, get the he-- out of there and call the police.
There are deer, fox, possum, raccoons, rabbits, and more, here, now, in addition to these coyotes. Coexist.
About those goats
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Two well-fed and well-kept goats were found wandering Farragut Avenue today and temporarily detained by the Police Department. The owners have been notified. I have to assume that in the history of the Hastings Police Department, those words were never previously transcribed on the blotter. Enough said.
Pretty much that wraps things up for the night.
Sincerely
Peter Swiderski
Mayor