AUSTIN, Texas — People in a Central Austin neighborhood say coyotes are on the prowl in their backyards.
They’ve spotted at least two coyotes near the wooded areas on East 43rd Street, near Hyde Park.
William Matthews, who has lived in the neighborhood for two years, said the closest thing he had seen to a wild animal around there was a raccoon and didn’t believe there were coyotes nearby because they’re in the middle of a city.
“We started noticing our chickens were disappearing, or they were being eaten and only the feet were left,” he said.
He said it was when he saw a coyote in his backyard with one of his chickens in its mouth that they had a problem.
“I actually chased the coyote, and that’s when I found its game trail,” Matthews said. “It had mange on it and it was midday. That’s when I realized there’s something wrong with it.”
Matthews said he’s gone from 10 chickens in his flock to three. He said not only has his mother-in-law’s cat been killed, but others have posted on social media about their cats being mauled or missing too.
He’s worried the coyotes may target more than just their pets and livestock.
“Just mainly the kids, because eventually that thing is going to get hungry enough; it’s going to run out of food sources and it’s going to go for something,” Matthews said. “I called animal control and they pretty much told me there’s nothing they can do about it.”
Austin Animal Center spokesperson Elizabeth Ferrer said it’s typical for wildlife to coexist in neighborhoods these days.
“People are spotting them more and more now because there’s so much growth. All of their natural habitats are being disturbed all around the city,” she said.
Ferrer said wildlife animal protection officers, or animal control, did get Matthews’ call, but they don’t trap or displace wild animals.
“They run in packs. They’re very closeknit and they will find a way either to come back, or another coyote will replace the one that was moved away,” Ferrer said.
She said animal control will only pick up wild animals that are extremely sick or injured.
Ferrer said mange is normal for animals like coyotes to have, and scaring the animals away and keeping food sources, like chickens, secured are the only way to manage them.
“Do what you can to scare them,” she said. “Make a loud noise with a pot and a spoon, wave your arms as big as you can to make yourself bigger, make a lot of noises to run them off. Never use a firearm or discharge a firearm to get rid of an animal. It is also against the law to kill wildlife in the city of Austin.”
The Austin Animal Center said if you’re concerned about a wild animal around your neighborhood that may be displaying unusual behavior, contact 311 to report it.