Letter: Small pets, even in fenced yards at risk of coyote attacks

Concerning an article in the Review-Journal about coyotes no running in packs, up until this year, we have found this the case, with the female training her pups to hunt, then kicking them out of the family to be on their own.

This year has been different as there has been up to six coyotes running together hunting in a pack around our property each morning and afternoon.

Our property is located near the west end of Thousandaire adjacent to BLM open space so we see the animal activities, and due to the changes in behavior people should be aware that their pets are subject to becoming food for the roaming packs. The coyotes do jump fences up to five or so feet so small dogs and cats in a fenced yard need to be watched to make sure they are safe. The coyotes do not appear to be aggressive to people and you can remotely discourage their entry, but we know if the coyotes were going after the small pets we would be unable to protect them from the attack.

They may break up their packs in the future, but for now, people need to be aware that their pets even in a fenced area need to be monitored. The coyotes are good jumpers and very quick.

Sandra Harp