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Coyote Sightings Near Yonkers Raceway Spark Residents' Concerns

YONKERS. N.Y. - Officials in Yonkers have called a meeting as restlessness grows following several coyote sightings near the Yonkers Raceway and Hillview Reservoir.

Coyotes have been spotted near the Yonkers Raceway.

Coyotes have been spotted near the Yonkers Raceway.

Photo Credit: File

Members of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and U.S. Department of Agriculture have scheduled a meeting at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday night at the St. Barnabas Elementary School, where they will discuss the recent sightings, which have left local residents uneasy.

According to multiple reports, the meeting is an attempt to educate local residents about coyote behavior and to explain how officials intend to begin trapping the animals, which have set up shop in the area.

Yonkers Raceway officials could not immediately be reached for comment on Thursday morning. According to a CBS report, they are working with state and federal agencies to install cameras in the area to track and trap the coyotes.

Police cautioned that coyotes should never be fed, and if a coyote is spotted, one should be aggressive with their behavior, making loud noises, waving arms and throwing sticks and stones to seem like a greater predator.

Pets should not be allowed to run free, and they should never be fed outside, as the food may attract coyotes. Homeowners should also eliminate the availability of bird seed. According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, coyotes are attracted to the concentration of birds and rodents that come to feeders. If one does feed birds, waste seed and spillage should be cleaned.

According to police, fencing a yard may deter coyotes, and fences should be tight to the ground, extending six inches below the ground level, and brush and tall grass should be removed from properties to reduce protective cover for the animal. Officials noted that regulated hunting and trapping increases the “fear” coyotes have toward people.

Other information regarding the regulation of coyotes in the area is available from the D.E.C.

The situation is ongoing. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.

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