Yet folks in Englewood and Union, just up the bluff from the park, aren’t overly concerned. Englewood police haven’t received a coyote report. Union had several two years ago from an area of the city down on the Stillwater River bottoms.
Gardner, manager of the Englewood park, said the coyotes have been around for a while.
“You leave them alone, and they’ll leave you alone,” Gardner said.
How many coyotes might be in the 1,900-acre park is anybody’s guess.
Mike Enright, MetroParks biologist, said recent night surveillance indicated there were two to three family groups — anywhere from six to 12 coyotes — in the park. That’s enough that park workers and early morning visitors have spotted coyotes. Gardner believes some are denned up in culverts, while others may be travelers passing through from farm woodlot to farm woodlot on both sides of the Stillwater River.
Coyotes are found in all of the state’s 88 counties. Biologist say they are showing up on the suburban edges because of human-centered food sources: pet food and garbage.
Gardner said he’s seen no sign coyotes have been preying on the park’s deer population. “They appear to be eating rodents and other small game,” he said. Rabbits appear to be a favorite, Enright said, but the most prized food is goose eggs.
“They really love goose eggs,” he said. “For that I’m indebted to them.” Canada geese populations have become something of an urban nuisance. Scientist have concluded coyotes play an important role in keeping the goose population in check.
The coyote is also quite adaptable. Stanley Gehrt, an associated professor of environmental and natural resources at Ohio State, has been studying coyotes for years, the last six in Chicago, which has a large coyote population among millions of people.
Besides goose eggs, the coyotes also appear to prey on feral and community cats as well as the rodent and rabbit population.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2290 or dpage@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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