Some Marin Residents Want To Curb Coyote Population
SAN RAFAEL (KPIX 5) -- Folks in Marin County are demanding that something be done about the coyote population in the North Bay.
Some even want the animals tranquilized, relocated, and their dens destroyed. They say that the wild animals are out of control, killing pets and putting children in danger.
On Tuesday, frustrated Marin residents made their voices heard, demanding action by speaking out at the Board of Supervisors meeting. They asked supervisors to do something to curb the growing coyote population.
Bernadette Bantly from Corte Madera said that coyotes are out of control in her neighborhood, too. "Every single day in Marin County, there are pets being attacked and eaten by coyotes. Why is our government allowing this to happen?" asked Bantly.
People in Marin said they're seeing the coyote population get even worse, and they're fearing for the safety of their pets and children.
"I want to see them eliminated from our neighborhoods. The dens have to be eliminated. They can easily be tranquilized, relocated or--if need be--simply eliminated, a certain number of them," said Ken Markowitz of Larkspur.
Southern Marin County Supervisor Kathrin Sears said she wants to see more data before taking action. "I particularly appreciated the suggestion from one of the speakers that a database be created, so that people can put information about sightings because I feel like we don't really have good information," said Sears.
Captain Cindy Machado, the Director of Animal Services at the Marin Humane Society, said the coyote population is actually normal for the area. Even though the Humane Society does not track the number of coyotes in Marin County, they said they look at other factors to determine coyote overpopulation.
"We would see coyotes that are starving, they wouldn't be able to feed themselves. We would see an increase in diseases in coyotes," said Machado. "Just because we're seeing coyotes in our neighborhoods is not a signal that there are too many or that they're overpopulating."
The Marin Humane Society is advocating for coexistence with coyotes. They said that it's important for residents to keep pets inside and to watch them when they're outside. Meanwhile, residents are suggesting starting a database to collect data and report coyote sightings.