Editor:
I have noticed a disturbing trend in my Hopkins Landing neighbourhood - a proliferation of coyotes.
I am beginning to feel stalked by the furtive creatures. I would never have an outdoor cat again. My, now departed cat, had his tail stripped of fur and flesh leaving only his tail bone exposed as he escaped such an encounter. Thank goodness coyotes do not climb.
I am feeling vulnerable because I have two small dogs and I walk a lot with them. Often I am stopped by passing motorists to let me know that coyotes are following us. The eerie sounds that emanate from groups of the creatures are bone chilling especially because the peace of the night is so rudely interrupted by their sounds.
I don't know what to do about the increasing numbers of coyotes as our pets and small children are at risk of attack from these wily animals. Deer in our gardens and coyotes in our human habitat are overrunning us.
We have a project underway to completely fence our property and gate it, so if our small dogs escape out the door of our house, we have time to rescue them before the lurking coyotes pick them off.
This is a much-changed place than when I first came to live here 40ish years ago.
Am I just paranoid or does anyone else share the concerns over the encroaching menace of coyotes?
Mary Findlay
Hopkins Landing
