Coyote Alert: Don't Let Fluffy Roam at Night
Updated: Friday, Jul. 2, 2004 - 8:52 AM
WASHINGTON - Area residents are being warned to protect their pets from coyotes. Wildlife biologists tell The Washington Post that the long-snouted, furry-tailed creatures have been sighted in Virginia in Falls Church and Arlington and in Silver Spring, Md. They say it's only a matter of time before they're in the District.
A coyote mother and four pups also have been seen in Germantown, Md., a WTOP listener says in an e-mail.
Falls Church officials are warning people to keep their pets inside after several recent attacks on small dogs and cats. Cats and dogs shouldn't be allowed to roam at night, they say.
Experts say coyotes rarely attack people, unless they are rabid. But Falls Church animal control officer Rebecca Keenan says people should know that they're here to stay.
(Copyright 2004 by WTOP and The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
