New Coyote Tracking Cliff's Old Territory?

NEWPORT, RI — Cliff, the coyote, may have been taken to a secure location, but another coyote apparently has taken over his old territory.

Newport resident Kimberly Harpool snapped this photo of the new coyote in town on Wednesday, Feb. 8. She said she saw the animal on Kay Street around noon.

"He or she ran in and out of yards," she reported. She lost sight of the coyote near the Boulevard, but the same animal -- or another coyote -- returned the same day.

"At 8:10 p.m. the same evening I saw a coyote (I think the same one) again on Kay Street and followed it on to Kay Terrace."

Cliff, the coyote, became a legend last summer when Middletown police issued an order to kill him for fear someone would be injured. Although Cliff never harmed anyone, he had become habituated to humans. After a public outcry, Newport Councilor John Florez persuaded the chief to give some additional time to figure out a humane way to deal with Cliff. Ultimately, the state Department of Environmental Management stepped in and relocated him.

Gail Mastrati, spokeswoman for DEM, said at the time, the agency would not say where so that Cliff would be protected, but she maintained they had found a remote rural area where he would have a good chance to survive.

Wildlife experts say people must take care not to feed the animals. The residents also should be aware they may be contributing to the problem inadvertently, even if they don't realize they are providing food.

Although some people have deliberately fed coyotes -- and one woman was prosecuted for doing so -- others are not understanding they cannot leave out pet food, or bread for the birds or garbage in a bin or dumpster without a secured lid. The coyotes will begin to frequent those locations for a meal.

Ordinarily, coyotes are afraid of people and will run away when humans chase them, yell at them or make loud noises.

Dr. Scott Marshall, the state veterinarian, said coyotes normally can co-exist with humans, but Cliff had become too familiar with people.

He called Cliff's situation "unfortunate" and a result of thoughtless or deliberate human actions, particularly leaving food out, failing to secure garbage cans and dumpsters, and feeding other wildlife.

"This was totally precipitated by people," he said and pointed out the resolution should not be considered a happy ending. Although he was spared being shot to death by a sharpshooter, Cliff had been separated from his pack and likely would encounter problems in a new territory.

"It will not be easy for him," he said and added Cliff's story should serve as a sad reminder to people to be more careful.

Courtesy Photo Credit: Kimberly Harpool