By Laura Drinan
Hometown Weekly Reporter
With the arrival of spring weather, there has been an increase in news about coyotes. Just a couple of weeks ago in West Roxbury, a coyote had been filmed running along the side of a street.
Coyotes are certainly present in Westwood, but Animal Control Officer Paul Jolicoeur assures residents that they should not be concerned.
“Since the 1950s, there have only been nine coyote attacks in Massachusetts,” he said. “Compared to how many dog bites there are a year, people really should not get too upset about seeing a coyote. You hear about more dog bites than coyote bites.”
Typically, coyotes spend their time in wooded areas. However, even Boston has a population of coyotes. Despite that, there’s no reason to fear them, as coyotes rarely exhibit violent behavior towards humans and pets.
“People should never let their animals outside at night, or even during the day, unattended,” Jolicoeur advised. “Their animals, if they’re not in a fenced in yard, like to wander into the woods, and if they do come across a coyote and it doesn’t get scared away, there’s going to be a confrontation. And usually the smaller animals, like dogs and cats, don’t win.
“Coyotes aren’t hunting in our yards for our domestic animals. If a coyote passes through and there’s an animal out there, there could be an issue, and that’s what we strive to tell people: you should never leave your animals unattended in any town – not just in Westwood.”
If a person does see a coyote in a residential area, though, Jolicoeur advises that they should make as much noise as possible to try to scare it off. Coyotes are not particularly high at risk for carrying diseases, including rabies, but if the animal appears to be stumbling and disoriented, or if it viciously approaches humans, witnesses should contact the police.
Jolicoeur also voiced his skepticism on the existence of coywolves – coyote and wolf hybrids – in town.
“It’s just all hearsay,” he said. “No one has ever presented a picture in the 11 years that I’ve been here, and I personally haven’t seen one, and no one on the police department has seen one. Until we have proof, I can’t say if they’re here or not.”
While he has his doubts regarding coywolves, Jolicoeur is certain that coyotes have made a home in Westwood and are beneficial to the town.
“They’re here to stay and they’re not going anywhere. They’re a good resource and we need them,” he said, noting that coyotes keep the town’s rodent population in check.
“We’ve got quite a plethora of animals in this town, and that’s why the coyotes are here. It’s a good all-around food source for everybody. It’s the wild kingdom in Westwood, which it’s good because that means we have a healthy animal population.”
Jolicoeur said that instead of worrying about the coyotes, residents should be more concerned about the raccoons in town. Around this time of year, homeowners should install chimney caps to prevent pregnant raccoons from taking up residence inside their chimneys.
To keep up with news about Westwood’s wildlife from the police and animal control, follow @WestwoodPD on Twitter.
