TYLER, Texas — Coyotes have always been out and about in East Texas. We’ve just been too busy to notice.
Boyd Sanders with Texas Parks and Wildlife said, “because of the COVID situation, people are trying to find something to do and they’re getting outdoors and they’re starting to see the wildlife that they don’t normally see when they’re inside or around their houses.”
Residents are still concerned. Take a look at these posts from neighbors on the NextDoor app.
This user warns her neighbors that leaving their pets outside could be deadly.
Boyd Sanders says that she may be right, especially if those pets are small.
“Coyotes are known for having a meal out of a housecat. 15% of a coyote’s diet are small cats,” he explained.
There are some other things to be on the lookout for with coyotes. They tend to resemble dogs but there are some key differences here. They have kind of a grizzled appearance. They're also a little reddish around the mouth and gray across the back.
If you see a coyote you want to make sure you distance yourself using the rule of thumb.
“Use your thumb. The way you do that is if you hold your arm out and your thumb up this way [upright], then you close one eye and see if you can put the animal behind your thumb," Boyd said. If the animal is hidden behind your thumb, you're probably in the clear.
In the worst-case scenario if you find yourself face-to-face with a coyote, back away slowly. Don’t turn your back and by all means, do not run.
Remember to keep your distance, keep your pet food away and keep your small animals inside at night.