Letters to the Editor (5/7)

Local cat owners: beware of coyotes

Dear Editor:

I just wanted to warn cat-owning Ahwatukee residents, especially those that live within walking distance of South Mountain Park, that it is not safe for cats to be outdoors.

A couple days ago I witnessed a large coyote walking through the wash next to Western Star Park (44th Street and Elliot Road) with a dead black cat in his mouth. He stopped in his tracks when my dog started barking, but did not drop the cat. He even stopped to let a car go by before crossing the street with his prey in his mouth. Especially in this neighborhood, people need to be aware that there are coyotes that roam the park area most every morning just before the sun comes up.

I should add that, recently, my husband witnessed a coyote stalking a small dog that was being walked by a woman on one of the South Mountain trails. The brazen coyote came within about 15 feet of the woman and her dog.

Lisa Browning

Native creatures benefit our lives

Dear Editor:

Your recent inquiry, "Are they affecting your family...tell us your story" sounds like you're looking for the "A coyote ate my cat" or "The javelina are eating my flowers" story versus the benefits these native been-here-long-before-us creatures bring to our lives.

After all, if you want to be away from nature why don't you move to downtown Phoenix or one of the other East Valley neighborhoods vs. Ahwatukee?

I have two perspectives for your AFN "Callout" request:

- Kids love the wildlife

Our house backs up to the mountain preserve in the Foothills area of Ahwatukee (The Highlands neighborhood). Over the course of any given year we see a variety of "wildlife" ranging from coyotes to rabbits to lizards to snakes to a plethora of birds. We all look forward to the desert warm-up as these animals start becoming active and return to the area. The kids love seeing the hummingbirds flitting about, the Gambel quail clucking around, and hearing the mockingbirds' fabulous songs. Everyone is excited when someone spots a coyote on the hillside. The challenge always is to follow it across the landscape as it blends in quite well. The occasional snake sighting is a terrific reptilian learning opportunity (we've seen ground snakes, a gopher snake and a speckled rattlesnake). The behavior and speed of the lizards (tiger whiptail, chuckwalla, banded gecko, etc.) is always fun to watch (and the kids try to catch them, usually without success.) It's a great time of year for all of us, and we couldn't imagine living here without them. Thank you, Mother Nature!

Another tangent: There obviously is some other "wildlife" in our area at night. Once in a while I'll go for my morning walk and see trees covered with toilet paper. I'm pretty sure the coyote wildlife didn't do this work. I also have to comment that I'd rather deal with the trivial messes the coyotes might leave behind versus the refuse left by this other nocturnal "wildlife."

- How are we affecting the wildlife?

I think if you truly want to do a balanced journalistic piece you really need to consider both sides of the story. This includes both the positive as well as (most likely) negative aspects of your "How are the wildlife affecting the people in Ahwahtukee?," but also, "How are the people affecting the wildlife?"

They were hear first, many, many years ahead of us: the road graders, contractors, developers, etc. We should do our best to live around them and in harmony with them, not try to displace them further.

My kids and I cry when we see a coyote dead on the side of the road. They never win the "car versus coyote" battles.

Try to talk to the rangers at South Mountain and some of the other state governmental agencies who deal with our wild animals to get a perspective on how they've fared as development has encroached on them.

Jim St. Leger

How have we affected the wildlife?

Dear Editor:

I have lived in the Foothills for 15 years. I grew up in the desert surrounding Tucson and picked our lot because it was on the preserve and I wanted to be closer to the wildlife.

I relish the bird song in the morning and the owls at night. We see coyotes regularly on the hill behind our house and we have had three rattlesnakes in our yard since we moved in. Scorpions are anticipated every summer. One of the highlights of our time here was catching a glimpse of a baby javelina.

Like many residents, we have lost cats to the desert, but given all the benefits we accrue, I can't be sorry that we picked our spot. I read your callout with some dismay as I believe we should be asking ourselves how we have affected the wildlife, rather than asking how they have affected ours.

Laura C. Fulginiti, Forensic Anthropologist