Coyote Spotted in Bolingbrook Subdivision

A coyote was spotted in the Bradford subdivision in Bolingbrook around 7 a.m. this morning.

Bolingbrook resident Amy Huddleston submitted photos and video to Patch of the coyote.

“It hung around for quite awhile. My daughters had put out some old bread the night before to feed the geese and the coyote was eating the bread, which seemed odd. It’s the second time that I’ve seen a coyote (possibly the same one) in our subdivision in the last few days,” Huddleston told Patch. “On a walk a few days ago one was moving from the lake in the Somerfield subdivision to the corn field across from Bolingbrook Golf Course on 119th.

A phone message left with the animal control division of the Bolingbrook Police Department was not immediately returned.

According to the Humane Society, coyotes do not necessarily need to be feared, but people should bring their pets indoors if a coyote is spotted.

“If a coyote displays no fear of people, he’s probably been fed. You can reinstill his fear by raising your arms and yelling to drive him away,” the Humane Society website said. “This is called hazing. Unlike trapping, which sometimes catches pets or other wildlife but rarely the coyotes who are causing problems, hazing works.”

Coyotes may mistake small, unattended pets as prey or attack large dogs they view as threats to territory or dens, according to the website. To keep your animals safe, take two simple steps:

• Watch your pets. Keep cats indoors, and never leave small dogs outside unsupervised or let any dog out of your yard off leash.
• Secure food sources. Store garbage in wildlife-proof containers and feed pets indoors.