An Oakdale resident opened her back door to a big surprise: Coyotes were making a den in her yard.
Ann Miranda had never seen a coyote before, but on Friday, March 2, she got her first glimpse up close. At first, she thought it was a deer because of the color, but when she looked again, she saw that it was clearly a coyote.
The animal was casually making itself comfortable in Miranda’s yard, and she was worried it could pose a danger to her small children.
“It just wasn’t leaving even though we had the gate open,” Miranda said at her Lincoln Street home on Monday, March 5. “I was clapping my hands.”
Miranda was eventually able to scare the coyote away, but it returned after a short time. Looking closer, Miranda saw that there were actually two animals: a male and a female. The female was creating a den.
Litter sizes can be between four and eight pups, Miranda said.
Coyotes’ breeding season peaks in mid-February and pups come around April or May, according to information released by the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.
Miranda’s husband tried again to chase the coyote off by clapping his hands. When the animal fled it jumped a tall fence into a neighbor’s yard, where a 9-year-old child was playing.
“It jumped back out, but if the coyote felt somehow cornered it could have been a different outcome,” Miranda said.
The child was very frightened, she said.
Miranda wound up calling Dedham’s dog officer, who suggested she contact the Massachusetts Environmental Police.
Environmental police officers told Miranda and her husband that throwing a tennis ball or snow ball at the coyotes could help get rid of them, and that they should never feed the animals. Also, they advised to cover up any potential food sources like compost piles, birdseed or pet dishes.
Late in the weekend, Miranda got neighbors with big dogs to come to the area and mark the territory with their urine. That has kept the coyotes from returning thus far, but Miranda still worries they may still be nearby. The Oakdale School is about a block away from Miranda’s house.
“I want to make people aware,” Miranda said. “They may be in somebody else’s yard in the neighborhood.”
To report a coyote sighting or get advice, contact the Massachusetts Environmental Police at 800-632-8075.
In a memo posted on the town website on Tuesday, March 6, Town Administrator William Keegan said there has been several reported sightings recently of coyotes.
If a Dedham resident sees a coyote, the town asks they call canine control at 781-751-9106 or Dedham Public Safety Dispatch at 781-751-9300. If it is an emergency situation requiring and immediate response- please dial 911.
Staff writer Dave Eisenstadter can be reached at 781-433-8336 or deisenstadter@wickedlocal.com. Like The Dedham Transcript on Facebook and follow @DedhamTranscrip on Twitter.
An Oakdale resident opened her back door to a big surprise: Coyotes were making a den in her yard.
Ann Miranda had never seen a coyote before, but on Friday, March 2, she got her first glimpse up close. At first, she thought it was a deer because of the color, but when she looked again, she saw that it was clearly a coyote.
The animal was casually making itself comfortable in Miranda’s yard, and she was worried it could pose a danger to her small children.
“It just wasn’t leaving even though we had the gate open,” Miranda said at her Lincoln Street home on Monday, March 5. “I was clapping my hands.”
Miranda was eventually able to scare the coyote away, but it returned after a short time. Looking closer, Miranda saw that there were actually two animals: a male and a female. The female was creating a den.
Litter sizes can be between four and eight pups, Miranda said.
Coyotes’ breeding season peaks in mid-February and pups come around April or May, according to information released by the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.
Miranda’s husband tried again to chase the coyote off by clapping his hands. When the animal fled it jumped a tall fence into a neighbor’s yard, where a 9-year-old child was playing.
“It jumped back out, but if the coyote felt somehow cornered it could have been a different outcome,” Miranda said.
The child was very frightened, she said.
Miranda wound up calling Dedham’s dog officer, who suggested she contact the Massachusetts Environmental Police.
Environmental police officers told Miranda and her husband that throwing a tennis ball or snow ball at the coyotes could help get rid of them, and that they should never feed the animals. Also, they advised to cover up any potential food sources like compost piles, birdseed or pet dishes.
Late in the weekend, Miranda got neighbors with big dogs to come to the area and mark the territory with their urine. That has kept the coyotes from returning thus far, but Miranda still worries they may still be nearby. The Oakdale School is about a block away from Miranda’s house.
“I want to make people aware,” Miranda said. “They may be in somebody else’s yard in the neighborhood.”
To report a coyote sighting or get advice, contact the Massachusetts Environmental Police at 800-632-8075.
In a memo posted on the town website on Tuesday, March 6, Town Administrator William Keegan said there has been several reported sightings recently of coyotes.
If a Dedham resident sees a coyote, the town asks they call canine control at 781-751-9106 or Dedham Public Safety Dispatch at 781-751-9300. If it is an emergency situation requiring and immediate response- please dial 911.
Staff writer Dave Eisenstadter can be reached at 781-433-8336 or deisenstadter@wickedlocal.com. Like The Dedham Transcript on Facebook and follow @DedhamTranscrip on Twitter.
