1 week Ago
CEDAR PARK, Texas — Coyotes are becoming increasingly common in one Central Texas city. The Cedar Park Police Department is warning residents that more coyotes have been spotted in the Buttercup Creek neighborhood and by South Bell Boulevard. Authorities believe there are a couple of different family units throughout Cedar Park.
Animal control supervisor Daryann Medvec said they have received 10 to 20 calls over the last two to three weeks, and many more since Cedar Park police posted a message on social media warning about them this week. They have not gotten any reports of coyotes being aggressive. "Reports have solely come in notifying that they're out of the green belt, which is abnormal for them," Medvec said.
"Typically, they stay within the green belt, but we're seeing these increases due to certain things." Medvec said the increase in sightings is likely due to some of the animals having "mange," a skin disease that often results in hair loss, itching and other side effects. That's causing them to leave the green belt in search of more sun.
"The skin disease can be treated," Medvec said. "It's an illness, but it's not like it wouldn't be like rabies, so it wouldn't be something you could get without coming into contact with it." In the three years Omar Alzer and his family have owned Alzer's Barbeque off Bell Boulevard and Cypress Creek Road, he has typically seen a coyote once a month, but recently, it has become much more frequent, about once a week.
"I've honked, and they just kind of stare like a deer in headlights," Alzer said. "Usually, they're pretty skittish. If you make a little bit of noise, they run off.
Sometimes they just stick around and eyeball you, so it's kind of scary sometimes." Alzer said is on alert when he comes to work late at night to check on the brisket they have cooking around the clock. "I usually drive around this building in my truck, and I check everywhere just in case.
I go all the way around and end up parking right up front. I don't like to park back here because the woods are so close," Alzer said. "We have all these trailers and a shed.
You never know where one could just be hiding from behind." Sometimes, Alzer brings a second person with him, and he has started keeping a golf club in his truck. "If it ever comes down to it, I do have them just as a safety, last resort kind of thing," Alzer said.
The department said Animal Control is working to manage this issue, and they are working with other organizations to treat the coyotes with mange. "Once the coyotes have treatment, we'll see them less outside the green belt," Medvec said. "Additionally, we're working to potentially host some organizations that specialize in coyotes here in the next couple of months.
" Medvec said they will not remove or trap the coyotes because it could cause the population to increase. "They operate in very complex little family units, and when we remove one from that unit, it triggers increased breeding across the coyote population," Medvec said. "If we remove one, we'd see maybe double to triple the population the following year.
" Trapping these animals is often ineffective because they can easily get injured. Another issue is that removing only one coyote will not discourage others from migrating into the same spot, according to the Humane Society of the United States. Medvec said coyotes are established in the areas where they roam and are trapped, and relocating them to a habitat with things like woods, rivers, lakes, and springs isn't beneficial for the animal.
"When we look at statistics for animals trapped and relocated, a good chunk of them actually die because they don't know where to go for asylum," Medvec said. "They can't figure out where the safest places to be are. They can't find the resources that they previously had access to that they were living off of.
It's best to keep them in the area they're in and teach them that people are not friends, and that's the best way for all wildlife, given territorial disputes and things like that when we remove animals from their areas." Police said there are several ways to help manage the city's coyote population, such as making sure to keep all garbage and pet food inside and out of reach. "That's a big one because if we're leaving food out, the coyotes are going to eat it like a free meal," Medvec said.
If you encounter one of these animals, you can scare them off by making loud sounds, like raising your voice or banging pots. However, do not touch or trap them, as it can cause injuries or other damage. "We're also recommending that folks can spray them with a hose or a large water gun because coyotes don't necessarily have the ability to know that that's not you physically touching them," Medvec said.
"For them, the water gun can be an extension of a really long arm." Coyotes are particularly active during winter, and they might be seen during the daytime looking for food. Their diet often consists of smaller animals like mice and rabbits, as well as frogs, deer, and sometimes vegetation.
During their mating season, they are commonly seen from January through March. They thrive in open spaces like deserts and prairies. Over time, they have adapted to survive in cities, where they can access garbage and other food sources.
"Urban coyotes are common throughout Central Texas, especially since we saw such rapid development," Medvec said. "We see a lot of coyotes in these environments and because of the accessibility to food." Typically, coyotes do not attack people, but it's still best to keep a distance.
"We've seen a couple of coyotes out loose and hazed them. We haven't even been able to get within 20 feet of them. They tend to run, so even as we're actively approaching and yelling and banging pots and pans, not once so far have they turned around and tried to attack us," Medvec said.
"We don't give them anything in terms of prey, and they don't want to exert energy and injure a human if they could exert that energy later to sustain their lives." If you see a coyote, animal control officers ask people to report sightings so they can keep track of them. You can reach Cedar Park Animal Control directly by calling 512-260-4622.
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