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Diane Latta-Brandstaetternihil 17 114"lat Coyote Problem in Atlantic Beach In north Atlantic Beach numerous coyote sightings have been noted by citizens for several years, however, daytime sightings which biologists view as an increasing risk to human safety (Baker and Timm, 1998) have occurred within the last 2-3 months. As of January, 2017, at least 15 domestic cats have disappeared in north Atlantic Beach: Selva Norte, Oceanwalk,19th Street, 20th Street, Duna Vista, Selva Marina. Just a few days ago, a resident of Oceanwalk said he hears "yipping" from the woods behind homes on Oceanwalk West in the evening while walking his dog. He said it sounds like 10 coyotes behind these homes. My purpose is to convince the city to do something about our coyote problem ---specifically, hire licensed trappers to control the coyote population. Please do not shift the responsibility to HOAs as not everyone in Atlantic Beach belongs to an HOA. Besides, this is a city problem not an HOA problem. Coyotes, like the Burmese python in the Everglades, are not native to Florida. Coyotes were introduced to Florida primarily in the 1960s and 1970s by hunters wanting to hone the skills of their hunting dogs as well as through migration from the western U.S.. Will coyotes always live in our state and county? Yes. Should we attempt to eradicate (even if possible) all coyotes? No, as they serve a purpose in controlling rodents, raccoons, skunks, etc. Do we do nothing, however, insofar as protecting people and pets? Will the problem only escalate herein Atlantic Beach? Without a doubt, yes. Virtually every city and state except Hawaii has a coyote problem. Some cities are more reactive than proactive. I.e., some cities advocate "hazing" or waving your arms, making noise, jumping up and down to scare a coyote—or the cities advocate educating people not to feed them, not to leave food outside, etc. Those cities are inundated with coyotes and many citizens are outraged that nothing has been done to protect their communities. They have had enough! (See Huntington Beach, Ca. "Speak Up" city council meetings as only one example). Attacks on toddlers, children, teens and adults, though rare, have occurred throughout the US and Canada. Copies of documented cases are on the table for anyone to take home and read. Once attacked, precautionary and painful rabies treatment is protocol. Do we wait until a child has been bitten in our parks, on our streets, on the Atlantic Beach Elementary School playground before we take action? But aren't dog bites more common than coyote attacks? Yes, but the law of averages prevails here in that there are between 70-80 million dogs in the US. You are more likely to be bitten by a dog than a coyote but chances are you'll be able to identify the dog NOT the coyote making rabies treatment necessary. But isn't this a bit of government over -reach? Only if you think public safety is NOT a priority. ? But what about the Zika virus? How is the city responsible for something like that? They cannot be but at least A.B. has a Mosquito Control Dept. to help mitigate the problem. Biologists maintain that litter size will increase in direct proportion to the removal of coyotes especially the alpha male or alpha female yet studies have been conducted primarily in areas where large #s reside: Colorado, Ca., Az., N.M., Canada. This theory may or may not apply to #s as small as we have here. I.e., We just don't know as no study has examined coyote behavior in small areas. In any case, one indisputable fact remains: coyotes will reproduce exponentially. Litter size ranges from 2-12 pups per year. If there are fewer than a dozen coyotes here in AB including Hanna Park with possibly 3 packs of 3-4 and one alpha female per pack, we can expect something close to 40 more coyotes within 3-4 years. Biologists (Baker and Timm) In their peer -reviews studies have demonstrated that hazing has been unsuccessful as a long-term solution. In fact, their study entitled "A Review of Successful Urban Coyote Management Plans" (suburban coyotes included) states that "trapping was found to be the most effective way to remove coyotes thus re -instilling their fear of humans". John Bowers, Assistant Chief of Game Management for the state of Georgia writes, "trapping and killing habituated or problem coyotes is the only reasonable way to keep them out of backyards." What constitutes a problem coyote? Appearing in daylight hours, stalking/killing domestic cats and dogs in their yards (this incident of stalking occurred in AB in October, 2016 while a small dog was in his owner's front yard), attacking dogs on leashes. These incidents represent the low end of the spectrum. Biologists analyzing attacks on children and adults believe most were predatory in nature; that is, coyotes having lost their fear of humans regard small children as prey. They speculate the coyote's boldness was related to food stress yet other biologists have concluded the motive for attacks on humans is not always hunger related or protection of dens. Movement, particularly escape behavior is a key stimulus for eliciting attacks; children's play/running behavior may provide a strong stimulus for attack. (Coyote Attacks: An Increasing Suburban Problem, Timm, et al, 2004). This issue is extremely polarizing but for those against trapping/euthanizing coyotes that are here in AB, consider this: *If you've not yet lost a pet to a coyote, you very well might when you least expect it *Leash your dog even in your own yard with no less than an 8-9' fence as a 6' fence is not a deterrent. *Never walk your dog on an extension leash and carry pepper spray, a baseball bat or golf club as pet owners in lax Golf and Country were warned to do a few years ago. By the way, the general manager there told me they have not had a coyote problem since they brought in trappers. *Never, ever leave your children especially small ones in your yard unsupervised. Fatal attacks on small children have thus far been avoided only due to the presence of an adult who was able to rescue the child. *Never let your cats outside even if in their own yard. *If you have a chicken coop, don't expect them to lay eggs with a coyote lurking in your backyard. Is this the way we want to live...always in fear?? I feel I have done my part in warning our community of this ever-increasing danger. My conscience is clear but can you elected officials say the same when a child is attacked, when your dog or cat has been attacked and/or killed, when we are faced with a liability law suit because we did not do enough to protect our community when we had the chance? If we can try to protect our community from mosquitoes, why not coyotes? I strongly urge you to take action now by instituting a trapping program.