Multiple Coyotes Captured in West Boca Raton
By: Stephanie Cornwell
Although we may not see them often, coyotes are present in all 67 counties of Florida. Normally this would not be an issue, however, due to the construction near the Hillsboro Canal and Loxahatchee Road, several coyotes have roamed into West Boca neighborhoods. One in particular, caused panic in many homes.
The adult female coyote that had been terrorizing the residents of West Boca Raton was caught and euthanized on Sunday, June 7.
The neighborhoods of Timberwalk and Boca Winds first realized the aggressive nature of the wild animal when it attacked and killed a 4-year-old yorkie in Boca Winds, at around 6:45 a.m on Saturday, May 30.
On Tuesday, June 2, the coyote attacked another pet dog, while the mix-breed was being walked by its owner.
Karina Weldon, a Timberwalk resident, was walking with her mother at around 8:30 p.m last Saturday, when the coyote attacked her from behind.
When asked about what happened, Weldon stated “Something came up behind me and clawed the back of my legs.”
The coyote then proceeded to chase the 15-year-old girl, but neighbors that had been outside scared it away.
Paul Zambrano, owner of Bandit Wildlife management, was hired by the Timberwalk Homeowners Association to trap the wild coyote that was harming animals and people. He successfully did so in the Timberwalk area that Sunday morning.
“I feel safer now that it has been captured,” added Weldon.
Zambrano believes that there are more coyotes in the West Boca area due to a report the morning after the aggressive coyote was caught, that someone spotted one off of 441 and Glades Road.
When asked why the other coyotes in the area are not exhibiting aggressive behavior, Zambrano stated that “the other coyotes in the area are showing normal behavior, they are afraid of people.”
According to Zambrano, the coyote, who was believed to be ill, had been fed by someone, making it more comfortable around humans. For this reason, Animal Control decided to euthanize it.
Zambrano was able to tell immediately that the female coyote was the one who had attacked the two small pets, as it matched descriptions and was confirmed by residents who had seen it.
Since the coyote was captured, there have been reports of yet another possibly dangerous coyote in the Boca Winds area. According to the Palm Beach Post, there was another coyote was captured on Wednesday, June 10th.
