BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Coyote sightings at Gleason Park in Indian Harbour Beach have been increasing, and officials in the county said they believed someone was feeding the animals.
The change in the coyotes’ mannerisms, likely caused by the feeding, is troubling Indian Harbour Beach Police Chief David Butler said.
“They used to see humans and run back into the woods,” he said. “Now, they are not running. Yhey are just staying put.”
Officials warned residents to be vigilant and keep an eye out for the coyotes when at the park.
“We have learned that at least one citizen was feeding the coyote in the park area and we believe that may have changed some of the behavior,” said Butler.
Meanwhile, the city is working to find a way to remove the animals without having to euthanize them.
The Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission requires that a captured coyote must be released on property in Brevard County with at least 40 acres.
So far, no one has given the city permission to release the coyotes on their land, and officials said they may have no other choice but to kill the animals.
Since January, there were 34 documented coyote sightings at the park, and cats in the area have been disappearing.
“We are worries about the small kids. (The coyotes) have already gotten two of the ducks. They have gotten several of the cats,” said resident Ginger Serenko.
Sightings have become a daily occurrence, so police have stepped up patrols at the part to up to four times a day, Butler said.
The city has applied for a permit with the FWC to release coyotes on state land, but a decision by the state to grant permission had not been made.