Wildlife experts say coyotes are typically harmless, so recent sightings in Wissahickon Valley Park aren’t a reason to panic. But they advised hikers to keep dogs leashed and avoid the Devil’s Pool area, where there have been recent encounters.
Last week, the Friends of the Wissahickon reported two instances of pedestrians seeing coyotes while walking their dogs, including one that said the animals were within 5 feet of each other.
“Coyotes have always been there, this coyote just seems to be more curious about dogs in its home range,” said Sarah Marley, interim executive director of the group.
Marley said sightings had been reported over the past few months, mostly of the coyotes walking around the park or passing through a neighbor’s yard. This usually happens a few times per year, she said, but the close proximity of last week’s encounters is unusual.
James Crown, state game warden for the Southeast region, said coyotes typically don’t interact closely with people, but they will sometimes during baby season, which takes place from April through August. In that time, coyotes will give birth in a den, and the parents will come out often to hunt and make sure no one gets too close. These encounters were likely near a den, he said, and the coyotes were worried about the dogs.
“For them to just be following somebody, making sure the person is not getting too close, it’s not standard behavior, but it’s definitely more common this time of year when they have babies and they’re just trying to protect the pups that they have back in the den,” Crown said.
Eastern coyotes are found across Pennsylvania and throughout the Northeastern United States and Southeastern Canada. They are typically nocturnal but will stay out 24/7 in the summer to hunt for their babies. They range from 35 to 50 pounds and will eat anything smaller than them. Though they typically stick to rabbits and small birds, they have been known to attack small dogs on occasion. Crown said the Game Commission has had more reports of sightings in recent years, likely due to development and changes in habitat.
Hikers should stick to the trails and stay away from Devil’s Pool, Crown and Marley suggested. But if people are in that area, they said to stay alert and avoid getting distracted by a phone.
If a coyote approaches, Crown said to make noise, throw something at it or spray it with a water bottle and back away slowly. Don’t run toward it, he added, as it might see that as an act of aggression.
It’s also important to remember that coyotes are an important part of the local ecosystem and possibly a sign of improving habitat in the Wissahickon.
“This is a good thing to have a vibrant wildlife population in the Wissahickon,” Marley said. “FOW works to preserve a diverse habitat in the park and so we like to see wildlife in the park. We just ask that everyone respects the wildlife.”
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