About 30 reports of coyote sightings have come in since the Pleasantville Police Department first asked residents to report them Sept. 12. Police said reports came from about 20 different residents.

Police had asked residents to provide information on locations and times of the sightings and whether or not the coyote displayed aggressive or abnormal behaviors. Most sightings were in the Weskora Avenue and Sarles Lane neighborhoods, and village officials believe most sightings could be attributed to one particular coyote exhibiting behaviors that were deemed “bad.”

“We haven’t had social media for long and that tends to spread the word a little bit more quickly. In terms of people being more aware of the coyotes, there’s definitely been more of an increase in awareness the last two to three years,” said Nicole Asquith, a trustee on the Pleasantville Village Board.  

“It is a seasonal thing, and we are in the season when you don’t see them around. So in terms of the residents’ response to the coyotes, I think it’s been split. The people who are always the most concerned are always the most visible. I think the people who are more informed are the people who are a little less unnerved,” she added.  

“We have done a lot of education for residents on what to do if you see a coyote. We’ve also told residents to start reporting any sightings to the police department so we can geographically start to understand potentially where they live, what their paths are. We are also working with a Pace graduate student to develop guidelines on what residents should do and what we as a village should do,” said Eric Morrissey, the Village Administrator.

“We are really going to be pushing education, and also the threshold I think will be very helpful for both the village internally and residents,” he added. To hear more about how Pleasantville has tackled the coyote issue and what the village plans to do in the future, you can watch the full interview below: 

The village hosted two community informational sessions about coyotes.  The first was held Oct. 2 at the Clinton Street Center.  The village invited Kevin Clarke, a wildlife biologist from region 3 of New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation. Clarke was greeted by a room filled with passionate and concerned residents who voiced their concerns that coyotes were a danger to their families and pets.  

In order to eradicate the coyote problem, Clarke said the DEC has a “standard operating procedure for dealing with coyotes. Essentially, we can intervene at any time and issue a permit (for trapping) any time they meet the criteria for doing so.” The criteria include exhibiting dangerous behaviors such as threatening or attacking people and pets. To read more about that coyote informational, you can click on the link here.

For the second coyote informational session, the village invited wildlife biologist Chris Nagy, who co-founded of the Gotham Coyote project. Nagy gave an overview of how coyotes migrated to southern New York and described research the the Gotham Coyote Project was doing on coyotes. He emphasized that through research, the Gotham Coyote Project is looking for way humans and coyotes can peacefully coexist with one another. “We have to find techniques for manipulating the coyotes subtly, because if you push too hard then they are just going to ignore you,” Nagy added. The informational session is available on PCTV, Pleasantville’s community television station.

Pleasantville resident Kat Nemec said the village has been responsive to people’s concerns. “I don’t have a problem if there are coyotes around but if there’s a bad one, I’d like to know that the town is taking it seriously — and from their actions I think they are,” she said. “They’ve listened, they’ve been respectful to people, I think they’ve been fabulous.”

A Brief History on Eastern Coyotes

According to the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, “The coyote has been present in New York state at least since 1920.” The DEC became aware of the presence of coyotes in the 1970s but did not start receiving complaints about them until the 1990s.

According to SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, adult coyotes may range from 35-45 pounds and some larger males may exceed 50 or 60 pounds in body weight. This timeline shows the beginning stages of a coyote’s life.

What To Do If You See A Coyote

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation provided the following recommendations to the public to avoid conflicts with coyotes:

• Do not feed pets outside
• Make any garbage inaccessible to coyotes and other animals.
• Eliminate availability of bird seed. Concentrations of birds and rodents that come to feeders can attract coyotes. If you see a coyote near your birdfeeder, clean up waste seed and spillage to remove the attractant.
• Do not allow coyotes to approach people or pets.
• Teach children to appreciate coyotes from a distance.
• Do not allow pets to run free. Supervise all outdoor pets to keep them safe from coyotes and other wildlife, especially at sunset and at night.
• Remove brush and tall grass from around your property to reduce protective cover for coyotes. Coyotes are typically secretive and like areas where they can hide.
• If you see a coyote, be aggressive in your behavior – stand tall and hold arms out to look large. If a coyote lingers for too long, then make loud noises, wave your arms, or throw sticks and stones.

If you see a coyote, please report it to the Pleasantville Police Department at 914-769-1500.