Peabody Coyote Sightings On The Rise Ahead Of Mating Season

PEABODY, MA — Coyote sightings are on the rise in Peabody in recent weeks ahead of the mating season that begins later this month and runs through early March.

Peabody police said that coyotes had been seen more frequently throughout the city, but especially in the areas of Emerson Park, James Street and the Higgins Middle School.

It is typical for coyotes to become more active during the daytime and early evening hours — and often wander closer to residential neighborhoods — as mating season approaches and during mating season. The typically runs from late January through early March in New England.

Mass Wildlife has several tips on what to do — and what not to do — if you see a coyote or there is evidence one has been roaming around your neighborhood.

Residents are advised never to feed or try to pet a coyote. These are wild animals that will feel threatened or bite a human trying to make contact. Feeding them or treating them like domesticated dogs is dangerous because coyotes could then lose their natural fear of humans, and begin to associate people and residential areas with food, which places them in great danger if they need to be removed from an area.

Not making residential areas food sources includes securing trash and garbage containers, and removing bird feeders.

Residents are advised to close off crawl spaces and clear back brush areas that could be used as a dens near residential homes.

Residents are also warned to be especially vigilant about their own pets during this time. Feed animals indoors and keep dogs on leashes. Coyotes could view a smaller animal as prey and could view a larger dog as a rival for territory or food even if it does not actually pose that type of threat.

Spotting a coyote even in the daytime, in itself, does not make the coyote a threat or constitute a dangerous situation for the animal or for people at a distance. But all direct interactions should be strongly discouraged and any aggressive action could be a cause for concern.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and
Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)