For 11 long days (and nights) Charlie was lost. He was unable to think clearly or figure out how to find his way back home. His human mom, Christine, tripped while walking him and with that he got startled into flight response and ran away with the harness and leash attached.
Thanks to his wild roots he knew how to survive. Domesticity was relatively new to him since he was adopted in 2022. His human family with the help of expert trackers from the non-profit Long Island Lost Dog Search and Rescue searched for him with surveillance cameras, drones and all means possible.
It was heartwarming to see the Sands Point and Port Washington community get together to help Charlie find his home again. At any point of the day (and even at night) you’d see both pedestrians and slow-moving vehicles in the area where he was last seen, looking for Charlie. Social media helped us all stay up to speed on his latest sighting.
Part of the tracker’s strategy was to set up camera traps at feeding stations. These cameras detect body heat and capture images of animals approaching the food set out as bait. Charlie showed up at one of the feeding stations, but alarmingly for his owners, so did coyotes and foxes. The coyotes were at least twice his size.
Not to risk food aggression, the trackers pulled the food as bait and tried another trick. It was the trail of Christine’s dirty laundry that helped him find his way back home. Charlie came to his senses, he caught a whiff of his human caretaker’s scent and snapped out of flight mode. His fantastic sense of smell brought him back safe and sound.
Charlie’s safe return is encouraging in so many ways. It was heartwarming to witness how the community collectively joined in on the search. His return is a reminder that no matter how lost we may feel, it’s OK to stay hopeful. Sometimes things do work out. What’s also comforting about his safe return is the affirmation that the Eastern Coyote in our bioregion seemingly had no interest in eating our pets.
They must have access to enough racoons, rabbits, squirrels, rats and other small rodents, as they showed no interest in Charlie as a food source. At the height of their mating season, mid February, this particular coyote pair showed no sign of aggression and shared their territory with Charlie and foxes as documented by the cameras.
The natural colonization of coyotes on Long Island has been documented for at least a decade. In the last 100 years they’ve successfully expanded their territory from the West to include all of the mainland. They’re smart and adaptable, they’ve escaped decades of attempts to exterminate them and they have now settled permanently in Nassau, so we better take proper precautions. If we modify our behaviors, we can prevent human/pet-coyote conflicts.
Co-existence with them requires that we give them enough space to roam and conserve what’s left of wild lands. They’re visiting our neighborhoods because there are very few places left for wild creatures. Humans are responsible for driving coyote expansion with habitat fragmentation and removal of their predators.
We’re also responsible for most conflicts. We must never feed wildlife. Intentionally or inadvertently feeding coyotes will habituate them out of their wary wildness and the result is a bold, aggressive and even dangerous animal. So please secure your garbage bins and compost.
Wild coyotes are resourceful and opportunistic omnivores. In the wild they’ll eat fruit, vegetables, small animals and carcasses. The biggest mistake people make is to start feeding the wild coyote because they look like dogs. They only have 10% dog DNA, while the rest is 25% wolf and 65% Western Coyote. Do not try to befriend this wild animal. Habituated coyotes will bite the hand that feeds them.
A wild coyote is skittish and you’ll never know that they’re living right under your nose. This time of year they do tend to howl and bark in a way that makes people nervous. But no worries, it’s how they communicate to find each other. They are territorial and the monogamous couple will claim quite a large area as their hunting grounds. They don’t form packs like wolves, but rather live in well-defined family structures with one alpha couple.
In places where coyotes are persecuted, their social systems are disrupted and instead of a dominant alpha male and female, more members of the family start breeding and they quickly multiply, appearing more like a pack. This explains how quickly they bounce back from an attack.
If a coyote looks too comfortable and is making themselves known to you, or even walking towards you, then you must make loud noises, spray water at them, flash lights, and even throw something (like a stick) towards them (not at them) to make sure they know you are the larger animal and they should stay away. On your evening (dog) walks, bring pennies or pebbles in a soda can, a loud whistle, or some other noisemaker. Never run away from a coyote.
If you’re worried about small pets in your backyard, your fence should be at least 8 feet and you can install bright lights to deter coyotes. Cats need to be indoors and dogs on a leash while walking. Stick to the trails. The worst encounters happen if a dog gets in between mates or pups and parents. Coyotes are very loyal and protective of their family.
If you have a problem coyote in your neighborhood, there are experts who can help rewild habituated coyotes. You can call Frank Vincenti at the Wild Dog Foundation; he has invested decades in managing coyote-human interactions. Please know that hazing is a proven and effective way to rewild a coyote.
Also know, you’re more likely to be killed by an errant golf ball or flying champagne cork. If you take proper precautions, it’s very unlikely that this animal will attack you. We should all be more concerned about increased car traffic in this region.
Aggressive behaviors should be reported immediately to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Remember, it’s illegal to hunt coyotes here in Nassau. It’s also proven ineffective at eliminating their spread. Our best bet is to learn to live with them.
