FARMINGTON HILLS (WWJ) – Recent coyote sightings are catching the attention of Metro Detroit residents.
Most recently a homeowner in Farmington Hills alerted their neighbors to what appeared to be a pack of four coyotes roaming a neighborhood in the area of 9 Mile and Farmington Roads.
Earlier this fall WWJ’s Jonathan Carlson spotted one walking through a gas station parking lot near Woodward Avenue in Oakland County.
But experts with the Michigan DNR say there’s no real cause for concern, as coyotes are fairly harmless and are common in these parts, in both urban and rural settings.
In fact, coyotes are not only surviving, they're thriving in cities like Detroit, Ohio State wildlife professor Dr. Stanley Garrett told WWJ's Brian Fisher on an episode of the Daily J back in April.
"It turns out, the urban environment is actually very favorable to coyotes," Garrett said. "We would normally assume it wouldn't be, but they take advantage of a lot of different foods that are available, so food is not limited in cities, you don't have hunting and trapping, which is the primary cause of death for coyotes in a country setting, so their survival rates are higher, their reproductive rates are higher, so populations within cities actually boom."
Coyotes are more active in the fall, as cubs are searching out their own territories, according to the DNR. They are most commonly seen at dusk or dawn.
While officials say coyotes are afraid of humans, if there is a sighting in your neighborhood, you may want to accompany or leash any pets.