Rye PD responded to a report on Florence Avenue of a coyote being aggressive towards a child just minutes before the 9:15pm coyote attack on LaSalle Avenue Friday night. The child on Florence was unharmed.
In addition, Rye PD were tracking a pair of coyotes as recently as Saturday night in the Glen Oaks area as well and a third coyote south of the area.
Assembled from resident reports to MyRye.com, here is a report of coyote activity Friday night, June 25th leading up to the 9:15pm attack. If you have further information on current sightings, please leave a comment below.
#1 Coyote (single animal, size of a "big German sheppard" approaches child. Animal gets very close and acts aggressively. Child manages to get inside home.
#2 Coyote goes back towards "duck pond" AKA Beaver Swamp Brook, a wetland and natural area on the Rye-Harrison border.
#3 Coyote "doubles back" behind the MyRye.com house.
#4 Coyote crosses Florence and confronts a Florence Avenue home owner: "I was out standing with a neighbor talking and the next thing I knew the coyote was staring at us 10 feet away. He proceeded to walk a few more feet away and sat in the yard. After about a minute he got up and walked away toward Park ave… Very atypical from my understanding. Was not afraid of us. He looked like a big german sheppard…big… We talked to the police when we waved to him on a drive by a few minutes
later. Then probably 10-15 minutes later..we saw the police…driving
fast with lights past the house probably going to lasalle…."
#5 Coyote heads across Park Avenue
#6 LaSalle coyote attack at 9:15pm Friday night by two coyotes. Unknown if one was the same coyote seen on Florence Avenue.
# Coyotes pursued by Rye PD, Rye FD and Westchester police helicopter into the Rye Golf Club. Shot is fired at animals to no avail. Animals remain in the wild. Coyotes have been known to live in the area for years including in the Rye Marshlands Conservancy just to the south and adjacent to the Rye Golf Club.
What has been your experience with coyotes in Rye? Have you seen a coyote in your neighborhood? Leave a comment below.
Westchester County owns the 137 acre Marshlands Conservancy where coyotes have been spotted and they should absolutely be assisting Rye police in this matter. There is an island of trees in the center of the meadow where coyotes have been seen. Westchester County also “manages” the Jay Property next to Marshlands but they have allowed so much wild overgrowth of invasives there that both the deer and the coyotes tracking them use it for cover. If there is a concern that the coyote is rapid, Westchester County should be helping Rye police search those 2 parcels.
Rabid that is – sorry for the typo.
Due to the fact that this was at night and the child was small and active and the coyote was not alone, I doubt this is a rabid coyote.
We’ve all seen on America’s Funniest Home Videos countless episodes of family dogs giving chase to small children and knocking them down.
This is the domesticated vestige of natural canine behavior involved in hunting for prey. Rabid animals behave in a very unnatural manner.
I hope it is a small consolation to the mother of this child that the fact that she was able to scare off this animal is also a good indication it is not rabid.
Alpha dogs are no match for Alpha Mothers. She deserves a combat medal for bravery.
6:00 p.m. on a summer evening is not night; it is still light outside.
When has there been a concern that the coyotes are rabid? The concern is that they are acclimated to humans and have gone from attacking pets to attacking a child(not a small child) over its own weight.
Note to all hungry coyotes, wily or not –
Our judicious friends in the Supreme Court have ruled that states and municipalities can no longer legislate away the individual’s right to keep and bear arms. This means that just about every momma out there will soon be a pistol-packin’ one, alpha or not, as handguns become the latest fashion accessory.
You’re now facing a very aware, very concerned and (soon-to-be) very well-armed citizenry. Better consider moving on under cover of night to less populated areas, lest you ingest a few grams of hot lead… rabid or not!
History is littered with those who thought it was ok to co-habitate with wild animals. And now an innocent child pays the price for the authority’s failure to act pro actively?
I knew this was coming and I called it. I wish it was legal for me to kill the beasts myself.
Mr. Siano,
Can’t say that I completely disagree with you, but shouldn’t the parent take some responsibility here?
“I knew this was coming and I called it”.
Since then what have you done, if anything, to advocate your concerns?
Without a doubt coyotes are running rampid as are strange phony solicitors….SO PLEASE tell me why a parent would allow their “6 YEAR OLD” to play outside 9:15 at night unsupervised…especially when you know this is going on in your own neighborhood????
There wil be an informational meeting to address the public’s concerns about coyotes in Rye with Rye Police Department Commissioner Connors on Tuesday, June 29, 7:00 pm at the Jay Heritage Center/1907 Carriage House. The meeting is open to area residents.
@Interested Observer
“The coyotes seemed to single out this girl — likely because of her small size —” that is a quote from the Journal News.
So Yes she was a small child.
“LaSalle coyote attack at 9:15pm Friday night by two coyotes”
that is a quote from the story on which we are commenting.
So Yes it was dark.
Finally- there have been several references in the media to the possibility of rabies due to the animal’s unusual behavior.I am simply pointing out this is normal canine behavior and not unusual at all.
Also the child’s mother was able to scare off the animals so they have not totally lost their natural fear of humans.
Dear Above avg citizen, What have I done you ask? here is a small snippet of my efforts, please note the date: April 30.
Dear all,
On January 27 a Westchester County woman was attacked by a Coyote:
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local&id=7241642
We have a toddler and small dog. Coyotes don’t “attack” per se. They snatch and grab their prey, they then run away at 30 mph and finish the kill in the bush. Humans run at 12 mph and if we are able to actually catch up to the Coyote and rescue a loved one…. the prey is either in shock or suffocated at that point. It is not a clean kill. They are also known to disembowel prey. Yes eaten while still alive. All facts.
Today I called the RPD again and I spoke to officer Hunter to make it clear my own personal sightings have escalated not diminished. I told him that I personally gave up on calling every other day due to the condescending tone of the officers. I reported 5 alone from the last week. He also said “I’ve never heard of a Coyote attacking a human”
Officer Hunter also added that “You need to understand that this is not a Police issue”
What I do know is that history is littered with the bodies of those who failed to be proactive in regards to the suburban infiltration of dangerous wild animals.
About 30 minutes ago I spoke to a Neighbor who will be contacting the Mayor Doug French to find out who “can” handle this critical issue.
-Tom Siano
Of course this is not a police issue. On the train this morning I overheard a conversation about how inadequate the police response has been to this issue.
If you have an issue as to how this is being handled, you need to speak with the mayor, city council and/or city manager. They are the ones who will coordinate how the city responds.
Tom, who did you send the below correspondance to?
Who did I tell you ask? you mean other than the Rye police on April 30, The entire Hix Park community email chain, a Scout Leader who sees Doug French at Scout Meetings. hum.
I was going to do like most of the USA and call a celebrity to help me or blame O’bama… but held off on that plan. I decided to just be a real man and call the RPD myself and notify all who I live with.
Does anyone honestly believe the police can take care of this problem by themselves? The naive might believe that they have guns and can therefore shoot the coyotes (thus taking care of the problem), but the reality is, the police are trained more to deal with human problems, not animal problems. They don’t pull their guns lightly. Additionally, they can’t be everywhere at once, and coyotes tend not to stay still long enough for the police to get to where they were last seen. Like a greased pig, they’re notoriously hard to pin down – it took 3 days to find a coyote in Central Park recently. To rely fully on the police to solve this problem is whistling Dixie.
Rabid or not, we shouldn’t let any coyote feel comfortable in Rye, and not just because they don’t pay any taxes.
So, what can we do, aside from hoping a cop is near enough to flag down when we see these critters, and that he’s willing to “dispatch” it? Plenty –
– Be like Teddy. Tread softly, and carry a big stick.
– Carry a whistle or an airhorn, and don’t be afraid to use it. If you hear one, realize a coyote might be nearby.
– Carry mace the spray, mace the flail, or a machete.
– Be alert for anything behind you. Remember, these vermin like to attack from behind.
– If you see a coyote, make lots of noise, raise your hands, and DO NOT BACK DOWN, and DO NOT TURN AROUND! (Coyote often kill their prey by attacking from behind, targeting the head or neck – if they get a small child by the neck, suffocation is possible by crushing the windpipe). Use the mace or stick to repel or threaten it. Report it to the cops.
– If you put your garbage out at night, pour some ammonia on top of the can (this helps repel raccoons, too).
– On the off chance you’re practicing your constitutional right to carry by sporting your new .357 Magnum with soft-nose bullets, consider putting one between the eyes of that critter. You’ll be the envy of your alpha-neighbors, and the market price for a coyote pelt will more than offset the cost of the bullet.
Tom, all I was asking was about the letter you posted. It just said “To all.” I was just asking you who you sent that latter to. Was it the City?
Thats all…
Other than coming across insensitive, Sgt.Hunter is correct. Please explain to me how this is a “POLICE ISSUE”?
Where does the “PARENT” responsibility lye?
With the RPD membership at an all time low what in the world do all of you expect them to do???
Now we expect them to run around chasing Coyotes with their guns drawn shooting wildly…who are you going to blame when a stray bullet enters your home???
Let’s all take a deep breath and think wisely please before someone gets seriously hurt or worse!!
There are much smarter and safer ways to approach this than COPS pulling their guns and shooting away!!!
I agree AboveAvgCit – it would be our luck as a community here to have someone hurt by a misdirected projectile directed in haste. (Although a big piece of me is right there with Matt – sick of assurances about being protected and about “the nature of the animal” and then all of a sudden a little kid gets mauled in her own yard. Dirty Harry, call your office.)
There have been authorized Grey Squirrel hunts here over the years –like when a population boom in the late 1960’s left many of the poor things starving all over town. My father engaged an off duty Rye City police department member who brought his squirrel rifle to our area and dispatched a few with our neighbor’s blessings. People in other sections of Rye did the same. I hated seeing it but the population then stabilized and I’ve never thought it necessary since. Today, like then, I believe we have an exceptional circumstance. And this time these particular animals would apparently rather eat us than starve.
uhm the tell “The City”. Is there an email address for that?
Honestly and actually at tonights meeting you will find out the City/town Council knew of this situation in February.
Have fun tonight at the meeting because at this point all the authorities now know what they have to do now. (Im VERY glad that little girl was not grabbed by the throat). Otherwise we would be in a different place right now on this. Thank God.
Tom, why all the sarcasm?
Your original post didn’t give a clue as to who the letter was written. All I did was ask.
This just in… another coyote attack in the vicinity of Rye Gardens, at roughly 8:10 PM on Tuesday. A little 3-year-old was attacked by one the size of a German Shepherd. County cops searching the area.
Time for open season on these critters…
Okay, so here we are again talking about another young child, this time a “3 YEAR OLD”, UNSUPERVISED at night, being attacked by a coyote in a neighborhood known for wildlife…PARTICULARY COYOTES!
What will it take for these DUMB parents to wake up…….
A FUNERAL!
These poor little kids are probably traumatized and will probably have nightmares and fear of their own pets for a very long time because of the lack of common sense used by their parents!
Since we have so many Parents with very little common sense in Rye how about the City of Rye and Westchester County put a mandatory curfue for after dusk until this is resolved!!!!
5 minutes ago – shots fired at the Osborn. not a ticked off senior going postal, just a Rye cop doing his job doing his duty to protect us… never thought the sound of shots fired would be such a comforting sound…