Coyotes
Recent sightings of coyotes in our area have prompted public interest in this species and underscore the need to follow the practices recommended by the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission (NCWRC) for co-existing with coyotes. These practices are applicable when dealing with coyotes in rural landscapes, as well as suburban or municipal areas within Orange County.
Coexisting with Coyotes
The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission's Coexisting With Coyotes (PDF) offers some basic facts on the coyote in North Carolina, as well as recommendations on how to prevent potential conflict and deal with any problems that you may have with coyotes.
We urge you to adhere to these recommendations so that resources such as shelter, food and water are no more abundant than nature itself makes them, and do not attract coyotes to your property, area or neighborhood.
You may also visit the NCWRC website for more details and contact information for their Wildlife Helpline.
Emergencies
If a coyote makes physical contact with you or your pet, call Animal Control immediately at 919-942-7387, option 1. If this happens outside of normal operating hours, call 911.
Reporting Coyotes
If you see a coyote engaged in threatening or dangerous activity, report this to 911. Habituated coyotes - ones that have lost their natural wariness of people and fail to flee when near people - should be reported to Orange County Animal Services at 919-942-7387, option 1.
All incidents involving coyotes should also be reported using the coyote incident reporting form.
- Coyote (PDF): North Carolina Wildlife Profiles, Wildlife Resource Commission
- The Humane Society of the United States also offers helpful information about Coyotes and coexisting
- Cook County, Illinois' Urban Coyote Ecology (PDF) has also become a leading resource for coyote information
- Additional information can be found from The University of California's Integrated Pest Management Program