Coyotes in the Parks

The Park District has been made aware of recent coyote sightings in and around the parks and residential neighborhoods. As a reminder, coyotes are a part of our natural environment, and while they try to avoid human contact, they are more visible this time of year.

DuPage County provides a number of helpful tips involving coyotes and recommends the following:

• Always supervise your dog and keep it leashed or even in a fenced back yard.
• Always keep cats indoors.
• Coyotes can be creatures of habit, so if you see one at the same time and place while out and about with your pet or alone, change your route or timing.
• Complete program registration form and attach to application
• If you have a small dog and encounter a coyote, pick up your pet.

Unless coyotes associate people with negative experiences such as loud noises, they can become comfortable walking down streets and sidewalks, in parks or near schools, basking in yards or parks, and shortening the distance between themselves and humans.

You can help prevent problems by removing two main attractants: food and shelter. Feeding wild animals increases the potential of dangerous encounters for you and your pets and the well-being of the wild animal. If approached by a coyote, use hazing techniques such as making loud noises, yelling, and waving your arms.

Our local forest preserve districts and the Urban Coyote Research Project offer the following information to learn more about how to live with and avoid conflicts with local wildlife, specifically coyotes:

DuPage Forest: Coyotes & Foxes
Forest Preserve District Will County: How To Coexist with Coyotes
Urban Coyote Research Project: Coyote Attacks