Coyote Concerns on the Rise

“It was on a mission.”

That’s what Minnetonka resident Marie Levitus said about the coyote she spotted in her front yard Tuesday.

“I thought it was a dog, but it kept coming closer and I then realized it wasn’t a dog,” she said. “We don’t have nearly the number of bunny rabbits around this year—it’s probably why.”

Coyote run-ins like Levitus’ are a growing problem in the west metro, according to experts from the state’s Department of Natural Resources.

In mid-March, a coyote right outside a man's home in St. Louis Park. Last week, during his 2011 State of the Community address, saying the city would work hard to "figure out what to do with coyotes.”

Since Jan. 1, there have been 35 coyote sightings reported in Minnetonka. Last year, 72 coyote sightings were reported. City officials warn that there’s no way of knowing how many of these might have been duplicate sightings of the same animal, and they ask anyone who sees a coyote acting aggressively, to call Minnetonka Police immediately.

Coyotes—wild members of the dog family—generally shy away from humans, although Minnesota’s DNR says there have been a few reports across the country of coyotes attacking children. And while a human attack hasn’t happened in Minnesota, some residents’ nerves are still rattled.

“I do a lot of walking around the neighborhood and for me it’s a little intimidating to think I could be walking and run into a coyote,” Levitus said.  “I wouldn’t let kids or small animals out in the yard alone now.”

Levitus has lived in her Minnetonka home, just south of the Williston Road and Highway 7 intersection, for almost 30 years. And she said that until Tuesday, she had never once seen a coyote.

So why are area residents seeing more coyotes around town? According to the city of Minnetonka, one of the keys to the coyote’s success is its diet. A true scavenger, the coyote will eat just about anything. That makes Minnetonka, with its readily available food sources like small animals and garbage cans, a comfortable home for a coyote. Also, as development pushes outward, more natural coyote habitat gets swallowed up, and the animals don't have anywhere else to go. 

“They’re fairly adaptable,” said Dan Stark, a wolf specialist with the DNR. “They become more accustomed to humans over time.”

These recent sightings have prompted the DNR to release a list of tips for people concerned about the presence of coyotes. Their recommendations include securing garbage containers, supervising pets when they’re outside and harassing coyotes when they're around.

But, Stark said, even if people make an effort to scare coyotes off, there is no guarantee they’ll leave the area. 

And without that guarantee, “I’ll be on the deck this summer. I won’t be in the yard!” Levitus said. 

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For more information on coyotes from the city of Minnetonka, click here. 

Patch Editors Ryan Gauthier and Michael Rose contributed to this report.