New Coyote Sightings in Gulfport?

One Gulfport business owner has a warning for local residents: Watch out for coyotes.

Here's what Kurt Zuelsdorf of Kayak Nature Adventures posted on his Facebook page on Sunday:

COYOTE ALERT for Gulfport residents. ALL neighborhoods surrounding and including Pasadena Yacht & C.C. should be aware of the coyote that LIVE in this area. Please avoid feeing any pets or wildlife on your property as this only provides food sources for the coy. We take away their food and they MIGHT move on. Consider this an ongoing alert!

Coyote sightings in Gulfport should come as no surprise. The Pinellas County website includes a map of reported sightings that includes hundreds all over the Gulfport and South Pasadena areas. 

Here's what Animal Services officials say about coyotes in Pinellas on the department's website:

Coyote attacks on people, while extremely rare, have occurred in other parts of the country and can be expected to occur in densely populated Pinellas County. As public officials, we would be considered negligent in our duties if this hadn't been pointed out in our educational pieces. Previous serious instances where owners were present with large dogs when coyotes attacked were wakeup calls. If offending coyotes can be targeted, then removal may be indicated; while in the past there was a wildlife officer to which this removal would be assigned, Animal Services has since eliminated the wildlife officer position.

The long-term solution requires public education, changes in residents’ behavior and in some situations, the means to remove individual offending animals.