WILDLIFE
I share Dr. Grasel's concerns about coyotes ("Coyotes are an immediate threat," AFN, Nov. 4). I live on Cathedral Rock with a "preserve" hillside behind my north yard. Recently, I roasted some chickens on the grill, but left the hot spit and "prongs" outside on the counter to cool.
The next morning, the "prongs" were in the middle of the backyard, and licked clean. These "prongs" are heavy (DCS commercial grade). A hurricane would be needed to blow them anywhere, so I presumed some creature had to move them.
With 6-foot walls and iron-work narrowly spaced to pass a carnivore, I guessed possibly a coyote had jumped over the wall from the hillside. The next day I observed a very large coyote on the hillside, clearly injured, right paw held high, with a substantial limp; so suspicions confirmed.
Looks like we've reached a condition of a coyote population too large to be supported by the natural food chain. Maybe it's time for a regularly coyote "culling" by the homeowners association before we have some small child dragged away?
Jim Thompson
