Pittsburgh Suburb Embarks On Coyote Killing Mission

PITTSBURGH, PA — A Pittsburgh suburb is making a proactive effort to reduce a racoon population that has been increasingly encroaching in or near residents' yards.

Churchill has made arrangements with the Pennsylvania Game Commission in cooperation with the property owner of Churchill Crossings - the former Westinghouse property - to conduct nighttime hunts of coyotes on the site.

The move was announced by the Churchill Police Department on social media.

The hunts will be conducted after dark by trained Game Warden officers using night vision technology and silenced rifles.

"There is no threat or danger posed to residents," police stated in a Facebook post. "We are confident that these efforts will be productive and help to eliminate the many threats coyotes pose."

Coyotes are predatory animals and though typically scared of and avoidant of humans, pose a significant threat to family pets. They are also listed as a top carrier of the rabies virus.

Police emphasized that people should make no attempt of their own to shoot a coyote as it prohibited by state gaming laws in residential areas and can pose a significant danger to neighbors. Police advise calling 911 if a coyote is spotted and poses and immediate threat.