Upon closer examination we realized it was a healthy, well-fed female Coyote!
When it became aware of our presence, it promptly slinked back into the woods, drawing the attention of more than a few crows.
We followed it for a bit and came upon some of its scat. It was packed with duck and gull feathers. So it seems the mystery has been solved...apparently this lone Coyote has been picking off all the birds and small mammals it can find throughout the Park, probably since Late Summer. This is why absolutely no shorebirds were found off the Southern shores of the entire Park. Obviously this presents an ethical dilemma. This Coyote is pretty much eliminating the Park's status as a bird haven by predating on all that it can find. However, the animal seems happy and healthy in its own little Nature preserve. What, if anything, should be done about it? The problem is that it has no future in the Park as it probably wont be able to find a mate and even if it did, a wild population of Coyotes in this location would spell bad news for all involved. Trapping Coyotes often proves fatal although leaving the animal in the Park over the Winter may prove fatal to it also. Many wild Coyotes also have heartworm, mange and even rabies--so lets not forget that Croton Point Park is also a dog park. Also the fact that this particular one seemed to be in good health is no guarantee that it isnt harboring a latent issue. My feeling is that the Coyote should be trapped in as harmless a fashion as possible over the next few weeks. If it survives, I think getting a sample of its DNA would prove useful on several fronts. If the Coyote is in good health, it should be returned to either Bear Mountain, Harriman State Park or some other large, local Park. I also think it should either be tagged or micro-chipped just in case it ever returns in order to make identification possible. If anyone out there cares to weigh in, please leave a comment or email me.
Merry Christmas to all the Nature lovers!
3 comments:
Agree Jim, Coyotes are a danger to dogs, cats, small children, etc. They do not belong in suburban parks. She should be humanely trapped and relocated.
Ann
No, coyotes are not eliminating Croton Points status as good bird habitat. Strongly disagree. Just part of the balance of nature and one of slim hopes for some impact on deer population. Deer are greater threat to bird populations at Croton Point and elsewhere in the region because most of our forest lacks understory vegetation of native shrubs and young trees. Without understory, many bird species have no nesting cover and nests fail. Without those understory nesting birds, our forests lack needed control of tree eating insects. Coyotes = healthier habitats. Dogs are not allowed off leash at Croton Point because this, also, negatively impacts bird habitat. If known and ongoing presence of coyotes -- as indicated on park entrance, encourages more dogs on leash, another plus!
Thanks for your opinion, but the deer are not as bad as you say. At Bear Mountain, there are tons of deer but the warblers and buntings are doing just great there. I wrote this post some 4 years ago and I have changed my belief based on the fact that coyotes are now very common in Rockland and Westchester counties. So even if this coyote were removed, others will come in to fill the niche. As for them preying on deer, I have never found any deer products in their scat so if in fact they do prey on them, its is a rare event.
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