LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Las Vegas residents are reporting more and more encounters with coyotes roaming streets and yards, raising concerns about pet safety in local neighborhoods.
Living in Las Vegas means sharing space with Mojave Desert wildlife — including coyotes. The more homes we build, the more we encroach on the native territory of these four-legged predators, raising real concerns for pet owners.
WATCH: How to stay safe: Las Vegas residents report surge in urban coyote encounters
Through Nextdoor posts, emails and social media channels, Las Vegas locals regularly express worries about coyote sightings.
Boulder City resident Tonya Hinz reached out to ask 'Darcy, What's The Deal?' after seeing coyotes frequenting her neighborhood.
"The other night I heard a lot of yelping and what sounded like a dog scream and then it stopped," Hinz said.
She reports coyotes come through her yard regularly and wonders why the populations aren't being controlled.
The Nevada Department of Wildlife says coyotes are amazingly adaptable to changes in their environment and have become very skilled at earning a living among humans.
Man-made developments, especially those with landscaping that includes vegetation and water, attract the animals that coyotes typically prey on and depend on for survival. Where there is prey, there will be predators.
How to minimize coyote encounters
NDOW recommends several steps to reduce the chances of unpleasant interactions with coyotes:
- Don't feed coyotes or other wildlife. If you're feeding birds, rabbits or community cats, you're indirectly feeding coyotes
- Clean up any pet food outside after feeding your pets
- Cover garbage cans with well-fitting lids and don't litter
- Don't let cats wander the neighborhood. NDOW says that's like "ringing the dinner bell"
- Don't let small dogs out alone, especially from dusk to dawn, and close pet doors at night
- If you encounter a coyote, make it uncomfortable by spraying water from a hose, whistling loudly, or yelling while waving your arms. Be loud and persistent
NDOW emphasizes that simply seeing coyotes is not cause for alarm, but if one becomes aggressive toward a person, then a call may be warranted. The department does not remove coyotes for being sighted in neighborhoods or attacking free-roaming cats and dogs.
Click here for more information from NDOW.
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