I was NOT ready for that!  Working late one night I heard what sounded like babies crying.  The more I listened I realized that it wasn't babies, it was a pack of coyotes and they were in our cul-de-sac!!

Immediately I hopped onto the social media site, NextDoor, for my neighborhood and asked the neighbors about their experience with the coyotes.  Does this happen frequently?  It turns out, per the neighbors, the coyotes quite like my cul-de-sac and it's not uncommon to hear and see them.   Oh boy... that wasn't on the Seller Disclosure Statement.  😳

Since we'll likely have encounters in the future, I researched what to do:

1. Do not approach the animal and do NOT run.  It could trigger a natural reaction and the animal may chase and attack.

2. Stand your ground.  Make loud noises and stamp your feet and yell.  These actions may prevent an attack and scare the animal off. 

3. If you have a small pet or child with you, pick them up off of the ground.  The animal could view them as a food source. 

Here's a few tips to reduce their attraction to your home / neighborhood:

1. Install good outdoor lighting and use it nightly.

2. Keep bushes and vegetation trimmed so there isn't anything for the coyote to burrow under.

3. Secure trash and don't store any trash outside of trash containers. 

Apparently it's very uncommon to be attacked by a coyote and, per the neighbors, they aren't really what I need to watch out for. 

It's the javelina 😳

Welcome to living by the preserve, LamFam!