SYRACUSE – Mayor KC Ortiz told the city council Wednesday that citizens are reporting coyote packs inside of the Syracuse city limits.
The mayor also described his personal encounter with coyotes in March.
He said his dog, a 180-pound mastiff, was barking at 2 a.m. so he let him out into a fenced yard. About 50 feet away, under the street lights near the city swimming pool, were two, large coyotes.
The mayor said the fence stopped the mastiff’s charge and the coyotes moved on.
He said there have been numerous reports of coyote sightings near the golf course area and around the railroad tracks west of town.
City Councilwoman Kristy Henke said she has also seen coyotes in town, including the daylight hours.
For some reason, Ortiz said, the coyotes are becoming emboldened to come into town, looking for small animals, pets or anything they can catch.
Ortiz: “I think we need to take it seriously. We need to do what we can to push them back into their natural habitat for the safety of our town and our pets.”
The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission says coyotes may follow creek beds or wooded areas into town.
They are most likely looking for rabbits, mice and rodents, but pet owners are encouraged to be cautious.
The mayor said he is reaching out to area hunters for a solution to the uptick in coyote sightings.
