Coyotes on the prowl in South Florida

PALM BEACH GARDENS — Pet owners, beware the coyote that may be lurking in some South Florida neighborhoods.

A pair of coyotes recently attacked and killed a cat inside a gated community in Palm Beach Gardens.

Trappers have been getting calls about coyotes in recent months from Hollywood to Boca Raton and beyond.

Because of Florida’s temperate climate, mating season for coyotes is pretty much year-round, said Paul Zambrano, a trapper with Bandit Wildlife Management. And that means pet owners need to be on the alert throughout the year, he said.

Jill Jackson, a resident of the Garden Oaks neighborhood in Palm Beach Gardens, saw two coyotes killing a neighbor’s cat and dragging its body out of a yard in late January, she told Sun Sentinel news partner WPEC-CBS 12. The coyotes “were definitely working in a pair,” she said. “We couldn’t believe what we were seeing.”

The neighborhood looked into hiring a trapper but decided to wait and see if there was a second sighting. So far, the coyotes have stayed away, said Morris Tobias, president of the Garden Oaks Homeowners Association.

“I’ve lived in Garden Oaks for 19 years and this is the first time we’ve had a coyote,” Tobias said.

Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control gets complaint calls about coyotes year-round and refers them to state wildlife officers, said Capt. David Walesky, operations manager with the agency.

Coyotes are native to North America and roamed Florida until about 10,000 years ago.

They returned to the

state more than 40 years ago after expanding their range from western states, said Carol Lyn Parrish, a spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Now they can be found in every county in the state, including the Florida Keys and all the way to the beach.

“I’ve trapped coyotes west of the turnpike and I’ve trapped coyotes east of I-95,” Zambrano said. “Coyotes are urbanized and they’re smart. They roam pretty much everywhere.”

Zambrano, who makes around $1,000 every time he traps one, often gets calls from concerned homeowners when the animal is aggressive, usually because it’s sick or excessively hungry.

Coyotes tend to be shy and elusive, but are known to attack pets when on the hunt for food.

“Be aware of your surroundings,” Zambrano said. “Don’t leave your pets out at night or unattended. Don’t leave any food out. Make sure your trash can is closed.”

Parrish advises pet owners to keep their cats inside and walk their dogs on a leash.

“If you come across a coyote, you can yell at the coyote, bang pots and pans together,” Parrish said. “Do your best to let it know it’s not welcome.”

Whatever you do, don’t run, Parrish said. Just like with dogs, coyotes will give chase if you do, so it’s better to pick up your pet and back away slowly.

“We do not recommend you run,” she said. “That will trigger a predatory response with a coyote.”