Residents, Professionals Weigh in on Coyote Attacks

Rye's recent coyote attacks on humans are more than alarming—they're unprecedented. The entire U.S. only experiences a handful of such attacks on a yearly basis, and Rye had two in a four-day period.

And in this case, Rye's problems are the region's—wildlife pay no attention to town and village borders.

Still, coyote encounters in the Larchmont-Mamaroneck area have been limited. In the past six months, the Town of Mamaroneck has had four reported coyote sightings: one in January, two in February and one in March. The coyotes were spotted on Fenimore Road, Edgewood Avenue, Mohegan Road and Althea Lane, respectively. Two of the sightings occurred in the early morning, and two occurred in the afternoon.

"We haven't had any sightings following Rye's attacks," said Lt. Robert Koziak, the Town of Mamaroneck Police Department's public information officer. As such, the police have not ramped up coyote patrols or precautions, he added.

The Village of Larchmont, like the Town of Mamaroneck, has also had limited encounters.

"We haven't had any sightings recently," said Sgt. William Walsh of the Larchmont Police Department. "Our protocol for dealing with coyotes hasn't changed."

Walsh also noted the department has not received anxious phone calls from residents, despite Rye's crisis.

The Village of Mamaroneck has had only one sighting in the past six months—a resident spotted a coyote at approximately 7 a.m. on April 29 along Soundview Drive.

But sightings statistics may become more common in the wake of the attacks; residents are now more likely to report a sighting. In Harrison, there have already been four reported sightings since Rye's attacks.

Rye and it's neighboring municipalities are not alone in dealing with the issue. Various professional organizations have been contacted to assist Rye authorities—and all agree the attacks are atypical. Dr. Paul Curtis—an assistant professor and wildlife specialist at Cornell University—recently finished fieldwork for a study on suburban coyotes and their interactions with humans.

"The situation in Rye is extremely rare," he said. "Our study tracked 40 coyotes over four years, and there was only one incident involving a dog."

Curtis said there is no way to know for sure why the coyotes are attacking, but noted specific human behavior may be the cause.

"People leaving small animals outside, or children running back and forth, may trigger an attack response," he said.

To minimize aggressive encounters, Curtis recommends people remain vigilant and follow a few simple steps.

"Food attracts coyotes," he said. "Don't leave pet food on the deck, or spill birdseed in the backyard. And if you confront a coyote, act aggressively—clap your hand, yell and throw objects."  

Curtis worked alongside Kevin Clarke, a wildlife biologist with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) while compiling data—and Clarke is currently helping Rye authorities investigate and solve the coyote crisis.

"Parents need to be extra cautious with small children," Clarke said in a recent interview with Patch. "Be aware there is the potential for another incident."

Like Curtis, Clarke is exhorting residents not to feed coyotes, even indirectly, and to keep watch on small pets, as well. Clarke also believes the attacks are by the same animal.

"We believe the same animal was responsible for both attacks," Clarke said. "Nothing indicates an overall change in the patterns of coyotes. This is probably just one or two coyotes attempting new predatory or territorial behavior."

Recently, Larchmont and Mamaroneck residents have adapted the cautious behavior of their Rye neighbors.

"The situation is frightening," said Jean Oiseaux, a Larchmont resident. "Parents need to be so careful; if the kids are out past dark, [parents] should be right next to them."

Bill French, a Mamaroneck resident, shares Oiseaux's caution.

"Wherever [the coyotes are], you have to be careful," he said. "I'd hate to see them here."

According to the Westchester County Health Department Web site, coyotes have a natural fear of humans. But in suburban areas in Westchester County, this fear can subside.

"Some coyotes in suburbia have lost their fear of people," the  Web site notes.

In order to maintain this fear and prevent dangerous encounters, the site lists several tips for dealing with coyotes. To see the tips and Web site in full, click here.