Two weeks after a 2-year-old Dallas boy was attacked by a coyote in the Lake Highlands community, Dallas Animal Services says its new coyote hotline has been active with tips from the community.
“We are currently monitoring the coyote behavior in the neighborhood through our hotline and we are encouraging everyone to call the hotline with their sightings of coyotes or if a coyote is aggressively approaching a human or an animal to call 911,” DAS Director MeLissa Webber said.
In the first week of operation, the hotline received 85 coyote sighting tips from Dallas and 12 surrounding areas.
“The hotline is a data-gathering tool to provide DAS and the USDA Wildlife Services with the information needed to set a baseline for coyote activity in various city areas to improve behavior monitoring,” DAS Representative Marlo Klingman said. “The hotline has helped to streamline reporting; however, it is just a first step in improving the wildlife reporting and tracking system.”
In the weeks since the attack, crews with the United States Department of Agriculture have killed at least three coyotes, including one matching the description of the animal sought in the attack in Lake Highlands. All three were being tested for rabies.
DAS will hold a community meeting on June 13 at Lake Highlands North Recreation Center where they will present a coyote management plan to residents.
“DAS is currently working with USDA Wildlife Services to develop a comprehensive Coyote Management Plan that will contain a detailed behavioral scale with different levels triggering a progressive response from DAS and its partners and is exploring interactive mapping software platforms that will expedite data analytics,” Klingman said.
Residents are encouraged to call 469-676-9813 if they see coyotes or visit BeDallas90.org/coyotes for more information.
