How To Deal With Growing Coyote Population On North Shore, Across MA

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — As coyote sightings and interactions become more common across the state — especially on the North Shore where there were two bites this spring — the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has launched a campaign aimed at helping residents learn to coexist with the wild canines.

"Generally, coyotes are shy and avoid contact with humans," the MSPCA said in the online campaign. "In some areas, however, coyotes may be less likely to fear people and more likely to associate them with an easy, dependable food source.

"Some have been known to come up to the doors of homes if food is regularly present."

The apparent voluntary feeding of coyotes either out of fascination, carelessness or a misplaced sense of compassion was identified as the likely culprit in Swampscott that caused one or more coyotes to view humans as a reliable source of food and led to two people getting bit in the Vinnin Square area.

Swampscott is now expected to consider a bylaw at its next town meeting that would fine residents and restaurant workers for feeding coyotes and other wildlife.

"These are wonderful animals that are part of our habitat," Swampscott Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald said at a recent Select Board meeting proposing the ordinance. "Unfortunately, we have people who are feeding them and they get habituated and they get friendly with human beings.

"There is not a safe way to handle that type of situation with wildlife. Unfortunately, what likely happens is that the coyotes (who exhibit that behavior) will have to be euthanized."

To avoid that scenario the MSPCA advises not "inadvertently attracting coyotes" by leaving out open trash containers, feeding pets outside or leaving spilled bird seed on the ground.

The MSPCA's Elizabeth Magner said the state does not have a "coyote problem" but those simple adjustments are needed to human behavior that can drastically reduce human-coyote interactions while allowing the animals — which are essential to rodent control and other roles in the ecosystem — to maintain a healthy existence.

The MSPCA campaign includes a video on the growing coyote population, a FAQ sheet on coyotes and information on the law banning coyote killing contests in Massachusetts.

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