Animal Control

Keep Wildlife Wild! That means do not feed the wildlife! Providing food, either deliberately or inadvertently, is training these opportunistic predators to keep returning to the area of that food source.

Keep small pets in at night.
Always supervise small children playing outside.
Do not leave pet food or spilled bird seed around outside.
Do not leave garbage where wildlife can get at it.
If you spot a coyote, call 311 and report it.

Photo courtesy of Glenlake resident Pat H.

Coyote Trapping Effort

The GNA has been working with Chris Robles of Animal Control regarding management of the coyote population in this area. As communicated to you last week we had a recent incident of a coyote attacking a pet at a Turkey Creek home, and there was an attempted attack on a teenager in River Place. Chris Robles met with Randy Farrar this week to discuss these incidents and the number of reported sightings in the area. Randy is a wildlife biologist from Texas Cooperative Extension who has been hired to handle the coyote management program.

To help reduce the number of coyote incidents in the Glenlake and River Place neighborhoods they will begin trapping in this area, probably within a week. The traps will be set in greenbelts and uninhabited areas, and they will work directly with property owners if any right-of-way on private property is required. The traps will be checked once or twice a day, and signs will be posted near the trap locations. It is unlikely that you will see, hear, or know of the trapping activity unless you are contacted for right-of-way access.

The GNA has requested on numerous occasions that pet owners keep their dogs within their own property bounds or on leash, and it is especially important that dogs not be allowed to run loose in the neighborhood area during the trapping effort.

Please continue to be vigilant in watching for coyotes and report any sightings to 311 (call 911 if the threat is imminent or there is an attack on a pet or human), and in following the recommendations provided at the “Urban Coyotes” page on the Austin City Connection websiteto help avoid attracting coyotes to the neighborhood.

Don’t hesitate to contact the GNA if you have questions or suggestions.

For a copy of the flyer, click the following link: Coyote Trapping Effort flyer, December 2006

Here are some other useful links:

Article about coyotes and pet safety.
How Austin and Travis County are dealing with the coyote problem.
General article about coyotes and other wildlife (with good close up photo of coyote).