A Kinder, Gentler Approach to Coyotes in Bloomfield Hills

Under new leadership, the Bloomfield Hills Department of Public Safety will have a different way of handling calls about coyotes. 
 
The department's sharpshooting program, implemented in 2009 after residents reported pets were attacked in separate incidents, will no longer be used to exterminate the animal.

"It's just not a good thing," said new Public Safety Director David Hendrickson.  

Though there have been no recent sightings or reports, Hendrickson said that upon looking into the practice, he determined it was unnecessary. In a letter soon to be distributed to residents, Hendrickson explains some of the research he found and the rationale behind the decision. 

"Research shows that attempting to eradicate a particular Coyote or pack of Coyotes will only attract another group to take over that area. It is also
extremely dangerous to use firearms in the city," he wrote.

Coyotes and other animas will only be targeted if a life is in imminent danger, or to put an animal down that suffered a fatal injury and no other viable option is available. The officers have been educated in the proper handling of animal welfare situations, including coyotes and will be documenting individual sightings.
The emphasis, Hendrickson said, will be on educating the public on how to pro-actively prevent coyote visits and to try and identify future problems.

Adam Bump, bear and fur-bearer specialist for the Michigan Department of Natural Resource's wildlife division, told Patch that several studies have found that it is not uncommon for the home range of coyotes to fall in urban and suburban areas. Primarily, it's because it's the area in which they live and hunt. Yet it also means that they are accustomed to living alongside humans.

That's why they seem to be "losing fear of people and people start to notice them more. They've probably always been there. People just didn’t notice them before," he said.