By Kim McDarison
An animal, which is presumed to be a coyote, has been visiting areas within the city limits of Fort Atkinson, according to information posted on the city of Fort Atkinson’s Facebook page.
According to the post, the animal was spotted recently near Riverside Drive, and Rankin and Shirley streets.
The animal also has been photographed in Evergreen Cemetery on the city’s north side. Evergreen Cemetery Association President Brad Wilcox said he took a photo of the animal. Sharing it Monday with Fort Atkinson Online, he wrote: “A coyote visits a grave marker at Evergreen.”
Wilcox said Tuesday he took the photo Monday afternoon with a telephoto lens. He was on his way from the cemetery office to the cottage near the facility’s entrance when he saw the coyote near a grave.
“We get a lot of wildlife at the cemetery,” he said, noting that recently a “big buck” had been spotting. Wilcox said he was not lucky enough that time to get a photograph.
Of the coyote, he said: “It was a thrill to get that photo.” He described the animal as “big and healthy,” adding that the animals, like coyotes, provide a service in the cemetery eating rabbits.
“We had a lot of rabbits and gophers in the cemetery. The coyote is our friend,” he said.
Wilcox said that he did not see the coyote in the cemetery on Tuesday, noting that it may have moved on.
Others have claimed sighting in the Cherokee Court subdivision, northwest of the cemetery, according to cemetery sexton Neal Traeder. He and others were learning about sighting through word-of-mouth, he said, noting that he was unaware if and by whom any of those sightings had been officially confirmed.
According to information about coyotes provided on the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) website, which was initially posted in 2013, “area residents are reminded that coyote sightings typically increase in January as this is their breeding season making them more active and territorial. Cold weather also means any kind of nourishment is a strong attractant.”
The information continued: ”Coyotes are intelligent and highly adaptable animals,” said Nancy Frost, DNR’s Dane County wildlife biologist. “While the ranges of many other predators have shrunk as human populations have grown, the coyote has expanded throughout North America to where they’re found everywhere from northern Wisconsin to the center of our cities.”
Subdivisions, parks, green spaces and landscaped yards all provide excellent habitat for rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, mice and small birds which are favorite prey for the coyote. These are many of the same landscape features that humans find desirable for homes leading to a greater likelihood of encountering coyotes in the neighborhood.
“It’s important to recognize that food is a strong lure for coyotes,” continued Frost. “Many folks enjoy feeding wildlife but food left for one species can attract others, including coyotes. Pet food left out can also bring them in. Pets may also be seen as potential food sources. Small dogs are especially vulnerable because during coyote breeding season, they can be seen as competitors.”
The information offered the following tips:
• Be sure garbage is in secure containers
• Do not let cats or dogs roam freely; keep pets leashed during walks
• If you see a coyote, don’t be submissive, yell or throw something at it to let it know you don’t want it around
• Above all, don’t feed them
Unfortunately, some coyotes in urban areas may lose their fear of people to the point that some individual coyotes won’t run away when spotted. There have been reports of coyotes following people when they are walking their dogs or just watching people. Coyote attacks on people are very rare but humans should never corner a coyote and if one gets to close for comfort the advice is to throw something at it and make noise.
“Effective coyote control programs target nuisance coyotes rather than a general coyote population,” says Frost. “But it is very difficult to single out a nuisance animal from the general population and remove it. Efforts to remove larger numbers of coyotes often don’t succeed because new animals expand into the vacated space.”
Additional information, as supplied by the DNR, can be found on its blog titled: “EEK: Environmental Education for Kids.” A link to a post about coyotes is here: https://www.eekwi.org/animals/mammals/coyote.
This story has been updated.
A coyote is found visiting a grave in Evergreen Cemetery. The photo was taken recently and shared with Fort Atkinson Online by Evergreen Cemetery Association President Brad Wilcox.
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