BALLANTYNE, N.C.,None — Some Ballantyne residents are concerned about coyotes after several reported sightings.
VIDEO: Ballantyne Resident Reports Coyote Sightings
Mary Wright, who lives on Ballantyne Meadows Drive, said she has had three sightings in her yard over the past month and that she and her husband often hear howls late at night.
"I have seen one maybe the size of a medium-sized dog," Wright said.
Wright said a neighbor has also spotted the animals in the area. He recently saw two coyotes running down a nearby street early in the morning, she said.
She said the animals' presence concerns her because she has two small dogs and her back yard is near a wooded area. In one instance, she said, a coyote approached one of her dogs at the fence in her yard.
"Eventually, the competition for food will get greater and they will be more aggressive, and then cats and maybe small- to medium-sized dogs are most at risk," Wright said.
John Shaw, a biologist with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, said coyotes are common across the state, though they aren't native to the region. The animals didn't exist in North Carolina 25 years ago, Shaw said, but now sightings aren't at all unusual.
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Shaw said the animals, which typically weigh 30-35 pounds, eat whatever is easiest for them to catch. That includes deer, rabbits, mice, insects and potentially small pets, he said. He recommends that anyone who lives in an area where coyotes have been spotted keep cats and small dogs inside whenever possible.
Shaw said coyotes generally aren't considered a threat to adults or children.
Still, Wright said she wants area residents to be aware of the animals' presence.
"We've got a lot of children in the neighborhood here, as well, who like to play down by the creek," she said. "So we need to be informed. The best policy is to learn about them because they are going to be our neighbors."
Shaw said there aren't more coyotes in the area now than there were five years ago, but that there may be more sightings because the animals are more accustomed to seeing people.
For additional information about coyotes:
Coexisting With Coyotes Coyote Species Profile Coyote Presence In NC