Coyotes raise concern for second straight year in southwest Colorado Springs
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Residents of the Skyway neighborhood are again expressing their worries about possible danger from coyotes in the area.
Last October, KRDO NewsChannel 13 reported on a similar situation, after the predators attacked several dogs and killed at least one. Another dog was recorded on home surveillance video narrowly eluding a hungry coyote's pursuit.
There have been no reported attacks so far this year, but in the past two days there have been a dozen posts on the Nextdoor social media app, saying that coyotes have been seen, heard or are believed to be too close to people and pets.
In at least two of the attacks last year, a coyote entered a homeowners yard.
On Tuesday, Sherry Hoffman says she was walking her dog, Grizzly, near Cheyenne Mountain High School when a coyote followed them.
"I picked (Grizzly) up and hurried back to my house," she says. "It happened last year, too, right after I moved here. That coyote was scraggly and emaciated, but this one was big and healthy."
In another post, a man said there are at least two pack of coyotes, each containing 6-8 of the animals, attacking pets and wildlife as far southwest as the Broadmoor area.
"We've been here 43 years at this property, and we've never, ever experienced problems with the coyotes before," says Rick Broome, a Broadmoor resident who pointed to tracks on his property. "Typically, the bobcats and mountain lions will keep that population down. But it's up. The other night, we counted 8 different yelps coming from down here."
Colorado Parks and Wildlife says it has received some complaints about coyotes, but at present the situation doesn't appear dangerous enough to euthanize or relocate the animals.
"What we'd want to know is if they're getting too close to people, or are threatening them," says CPW spokesman Frank McGee. "Most of the attacks on pets involve dogs who aren't being walked on leashes or are unsupervised in yards."
McGee says coyotes are highly territorial, especially around dogs, and also consider smaller dogs and cats as easy meals -- which are more reasons why people shouldn't leave pets unattended.
