Danbury residents have been working with the city to trap a coyote that is suspected of killing cats and dogs. Residents reported seeing a large coyote along Tamanny Trail this summer, and neighboring streets near Great Plain Road. The coyote was large enough to maul and kill dogs, including a pit bull, and cats are missing in the area.
The city hired a trapper two weeks ago, and neighbors were told to keep their pets inside, stop feeding birds and to seal their trash cans. Leave nothing near the houses a coyote can live on, and it will return to the woods where the trapper will do his job. That was pretty much the last people heard.
"I've seen it three times," said Amanda Mottola, 16 Tamanny Trail, the owner of two cats and a dog. "I'd say I'd peg it at between 50 and 60 pounds. I'd peg it at 58 pounds."
Details about the coyote caught Friday were not available Sunday. Is it alive? Is it going to live on that farm where everybody tells their children they sent their elderly cat?
City Council President Joe Cavo and Council Member Andrew Wetmore knocked on doors along Tamanny Trail Sunday to give residents the update. Cavo said he pretty much heard about the coyote capture fourth-hand, so he didn't have any details. Director of Health Scott Leroy is handing the coyote for the city.
Cavo and Wetmore reminded people to keep their property free of coyote food (cats, dogs, bird seed, loose trash.) Keep doing this even though the main culprit may have been caught. Do this from now on, Cavo and Wetmore said, or another coyote will start picking off neighborhood pets.
"The city doesn't have the financing to keep doing this," Cavo said. He said the estimate on ridding the neighborhood of the coyote is something between $4,000 and $10,000.
Cathy Moore, 15 Tamanny Trail, said she isn't letting Mika, her Siberian Husky, outside on her own.
"I'm still afraid. I'm not going to let her out on her own," Moore said.
Wetmore agreed with Moore.
"This coyote may be out of the picture now, but if people don't learn how to co-exist with coyotes, there will be further trouble," Wetmore said.
Wetmore said the whole city has to learn how to live with coyotes, because they are in many city neighborhoods.
