On Friday, a trapper by hired by the city of Danbury caught a large male coyote—which might have been the same one killing pets near the area of Tamanny Trail this summer.
Further details of the catch were not immediately available.
Residents reported seeing a large coyote along Tamanny Trail and neighboring streets near Great Plain Road this summer. The coyote was large enough to maul and kill dogs—including a pit bull—and potentially trap and kill cats, some of which are missing, as well.
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In August 2012 in nearby Westport, an officer shot and killed a disoriented baby coyote found roaming around a neighborhood.
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The city of Danbury hired a trapper two weeks ago, and neighbors were told to keep their pets inside, stop feeding birds and to seal their trash cans. Leave nothing near the houses a coyote can live on, and it will return to the woods where the trapper will do his job—so goes the theory. That was pretty much the last people heard.
"I've seen it three times," said Amanda Mottola, the owner of two cats and a dog who lives on Tamanny Trail. "I'd say I'd peg it at between 50 and 60 pounds. I'd peg it at 58 pounds."
What's to become of the coyote trapped? Is it alive? Is it going to live on that farm where everybody tells their children they sent their elderly cat?
It remains unclear.
City Council President Joe Cavo and Council Member Andrew Wetmore knocked on doors along Tamanny Trail Sunday to give residents the update. Cavo said he pretty much heard about the coyote capture fourth-hand, so he didn't have any details. Director of Health Scott Leroy is handing the coyote for the city.
Cavo and Wetmore reminded people to keep their property free of coyote food (cats, dogs, bird seed, loose trash). Keep doing this even though the main culprit may have been caught. Do this from now on, Cavo and Wetmore said, or another coyote will start picking off neighborhood pets.
"The city doesn't have the financing to keep doing this," Cavo said. He said the estimate on ridding the neighborhood of the coyote is something between $4,000 and $10,000.
Cathy Moore, who also lives on Tamanny Trail, said she isn't letting Mika, her Siberian Husky, outside on her own.
"I'm still afraid. I'm not going to let her out on her own," Moore said.
Wetmore agreed with Moore.
"This coyote may be out of the picture now, but if people don't learn how to co-exist with coyotes, there will be further trouble," Wetmore said.
Wetmore said the whole city has to learn how to live with coyotes, because they are in many city neighborhoods.
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