Coyote sightings have become a fact of life in our area, in suburban streets and yards.

Many wish to know if and when they could be dangerous to people or pets. This video on dog safety and coyotes is particularly helpful from the Mamaroneck Village Coyote Ad Hoc Committee.

Residents have written to Mamaroneck Village Manager Jerry Barberio to tell him of recent coyote sightings, including behind houses on Soundview Drive and in Otter Creek Marsh. One resident said she saw a large coyote kill a groundhog in her yard, as they naturally do. One or more coyotes were spotted in May on Lafayette Road in Larchmont (Town of Mamaroneck.)

In 2010, a six-year-old was injured in a coyote attack in Rye. A hastily called news conference ensued, with patrols and a police chase on golf carts, but no animal was caught. That year, a small dog was taken by a coyote at The Osborne residences in Rye.

But in 2018, after a coyote sighting in Larchmont the State DEC told us, “Overall, problems between people and coyotes are rare, yet the potential for conflicts to occur remains. Human behaviors may increase that potential if people feed coyotes (either directly or indirectly), or if they allow coyotes to approach people and pets.”

That year, researchers at Cornell University found few people (4%) actually reported having a problem with a coyote, and an even smaller proportion of people indicated a coyote approached, threatened or attacked a pet or person.