Coyote Sightings Increase In Upper Merion: What To Know

UPPER MERION, PA — Coyote sightings have increased recently in the Upper Merion area, local officials said this week, sparking concern from confused residents and prompting authorities to issue reminders about an oft-misunderstood member of the natural community.

It's not the first Montgomery County community that has seen a rise in sightings this year, as Lansdale's Wissahickon Park also recently reported an uptick in encounters with coyotes.

Coyotes are considered "generalists" in that they have adapted to thrive in human-altered urban environments, and are just as at home in the city as they are in the untrammeled wild. The greater Valley Forge area provides both: the shelter and resources of the woods, along with the scraps and leavings of human civilization.

Indeed, human sloppiness is the primary contributing factor to increased coyote activity in Montgomery County and across Pennsylvania, a state wildlife biologist previously told Patch.

Two main human habits contribute to an increase in coyote sightings and coyote-human interaction: garbage left outside and unsecured, and pet food left on the porch and available for anything that comes along in the night.

When coyotes are fed they adapt to the new situation and gradually lose their fear of humans, which can lead to dangerous situations. But attacks on humans are extraordinarily rare, as it is simply not in the coyote's nature to be confrontational with humans. By far the greater threat coyotes pose is to pets, as they may view small animals as prey.

While coyotes are classified as carnivores, they are more truly omnivore generalists, and are as happy to subsist on plants, berries, and insects as they are on mice, birds, and deer.

Despite the numerous reports to law enforcement, there is no reason to fear coyotes or to be surprised at their presence. Their interest in humans almost never goes beyond curiosity, and they are considered by wildlife biologists to be friendly and non-aggressive so long as they do not become accustomed to being fed.