Cole said she reported to the News around 13 years ago that a pair of mangy coyotes was in Magnolia. They killed her two cats, she said. "They ripped the head off one."
The Magnolia News did a story at the time, Cole said of a piece that quoted someone at the University of Washington who said there were no coyotes in Seattle. She also said the News story made fun of her for saying there were.
That was then. "They're everywhere, my friend," Seattle Animal Control head Don Jordan told this reporter. That includes Queen Anne, he added, also noting that a coyote ended up in an elevator at the federal building in downtown Seattle not that long ago.
Jordan said Animal Control has gotten calls about the new coyote in Magnolia, but he added that the city agency can't do anything about it. That's the purview of the states Department of Fish and Wildlife, but even that agency is unlikely to take action, according to Jordan.
"They're considered a nuisance wildlife species," he said of coyotes. "Unless they pose a threat to people, (Fish and Wildlife) won't do anything." Coyotes generally steer clear of people, although one of the animals was seen nosing around a couple of young children in the Bellevue area, Jordan said. About the only step people can take is to hire certified trappers to catch the animals, but that costs a bundle, he added.
Development in the suburbs is often cited as a reason why coyotes move into cities nationwide, but Jordan doesn't buy the argument. "The reality is, we have created a sustainable habitat for them."
Food is plentiful, he said of such sources as garbage as well as urban gardens that draw rodents the coyotes like to eat. They're also fond of small household pets like Cole's cats, Jordan said. "Once they have a population established, the food sources are just tremendous."
Another potential factor in the growth of the coyote population is that winters are no longer very cold in the Seattle area, according to Jordan. "So there's a possibility global warming is having an effect."
Seattle Animal Control's Web site offers suggestions people can follow to make their homes and yards less attractive to coyotes. One novel method he mentioned is to hook up lawn sprinklers to motion-detectors at night, which is when the nocturnal animals like to hunt and scavenge for food.
Jordan also had another suggestion for Magnolia residents: "Keep pets inside."[[In-content Ad]]