Success of Pet Abatement Program in Belvedere Spurs Calls for National Coyote Rollout
Select owners report 100% reduction after visit from remediation team
Municipalities across the country are interested in adopting Belvedere’s novel approach to wildlife management after seeing how effective coyotes have been in reducing the population of dogs and cats that have long infested the town. “This is nature at work,” said ecologist Matt Duckhurst, of the maulings and disappearances regularly reported in the community. “Coyotes help keep non-native species like golden retrievers in check, and restore balance by picking off invasive kittens.”
As the model has begun to receive national attention, other cities have sought guidance on how to acquire their own unchecked hordes of opportunistic carnivores. But Duckhurst says the approach won’t be easy to replicate. “You need to let the pack grow to the point where it simply cannot be satisfied by traditional food sources,” he said. “Then you tempt them with something small, like an unmonitored chihuahua.”
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I appreciate Mr. Duckhurst's recognition that chihuahuas are an acquired taste. However, I find myself wondering if they have checked these coyotes for their lineage -- DNA, or whatever they use these days. They could have been trucked in from who-knows-where. Without that authentication as truly local, having them in Belvedere makes me fear for the bloodline of the carefully curated coyote pack on my estate which is only eleven miles away. That is a mere spin on my 1980 Fairfax garage-built Gary Fisher; imagine how quickly a motivated coyote could cover that distance, and in the dark of night!
Idk but that may explain why chihuahuas in Marin seem to a bit more anxious than say Chihuahuas in other areas like Santa Cruz or Monterey. Just my observation.