Coyotes appear throughout Auburn

Hers was a very fine property graced by the three cats that for a year had snoozed on her sun deck.

The kitties were welcome. Not so the coyotes that recently emerged from the woods behind Hilda Meryhew’s property, near Pete Lewis Park on Auburn’s West Hill, near South 318th Street and W Street NW.

For two weeks, Meryhew told the Auburn City on Nov. 4, the unwelcome canidae gobbled berries from her laurel hedge. She said she spotted five of them sleeping at the end of her driveway, and spotted evidence of some them in her garden, leaving behind a mess for her to clean up.

“When I discovered the berries were their source of food, I had my son cut the laurel hedge way back, and that stopped them,” Meryhew said.

Meryhew added that, while driving home on South 318th Street one evening, a coyote crossing 318th Street stopped in front of a line of cars.

“I honked my horn several times, and it finally turned around and disappeared into the woods,” Meryhew recalled.

And perhaps it is no coincidence that she hasn’t seen those three cats since the coyotes showed up.

“I am leery of them,” Meryhew said of the coyotes.

Not only does this senior citizen fret the incursions on her property but she also worries about the children and cats and small dogs who live in her neighborhood, especially after a woman she talked to informed her about a den of coyotes in Pete Lewis Park who could endanger children and small pets who go there.

“If the coyotes are not removed from Pete Lewis Park on the West Hill, they will multiply, causing a problem for the whole neighborhood,” Meryhew told the council.

Meryhew is not alone in her concerns. Perhaps such encounters with wild animals are inevitable as human activity encroaches more and more on their former hunting grounds and habitats, and trees are felled to build houses, as is happening in her neighborhood.

Recent news reports detail not only incursions -by-coyote but also mountain lions and bears and other animals throughout the state.

Jonathan Glover, communications manager for the City of Auburn, said Wednesday afternoon:

“I would remind folks that the city takes all reports of coyote incidents, in addition to any wild animal incidents, seriously and that residents should continue to call 911 and report any suspicious activity.”

Nicholace Sorenson, Animal Control officer for the City of Auburn, said as follows:

“In cases of any wildlife, but especially coyotes and cougars, we take an educational stance with dealing with them, helping people understand to co-exist by bringing in pet animals at night and not leaving out anything that could be construed as food,” said Sorenson. “In Auburn, as you know, a large variety of wildlife are native to the area, including deer, coyote, and cougars. … Coyotes and cougars are nocturnal hunters, and going after kids is extremely rare due to this fact. Generally, due to the nature of the animals, people do not usually see them directly: they either catch them on a camera, or they see evidence of them in the area.”

Sorenson stressed that Animal Control will always respond to any wildlife within the living area of a home and in the past.

“I have removed multiple opossums and raccoons, though the chance of a large animal is slim and would be a joint response with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife,” Sorenson said.

According to the Humane Society of the United States, perhaps the best advice for concerned homeowners is to not throw out the welcome sign. It offers these tips to ward off beasts of all sorts:

Compost: Cover and secure compost piles. Never compost meat scraps.

Trash: Secure trash containers with cords, ropes or weights, or put trash out the morning of collection, not the night before.

Trees/leaves: Keep branches trimmed six feet away from your house to not only limit access for wildlife, but to prevent damage to the roof that may allow animals entry into one’s home in the future.

Clean up debris: Especially leaves piled in gutters and around the foundation.