Photo: Suzanne Sausville / WBZ NewsRadio
NAHANT, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — A group of residents rallied at Nahant Beach on Sunday to protest the town's new initiative to slash the local coyote population after a number of people were attacked by the predators across the Bay State.
The Town of Nahant voted to have expert sharpshooters from the Wildlife Services come in and kill coyotes in a controlled and isolated area— making Nahant the first town to hire urban-type wildlife removal services, town officials said in a Board of Selectmen meeting earlier this month. But protestors say the coyotes aren't to blame, and instead point the finger at residents who are purposely feeding or leaving trash out for the wild animals.
"A coyote is no danger to people they don't attack and eat people. The fact is coyotes are going to be in our landscape. Ever since we wiped out the wolves, coyotes have taken over as the apex predator. Coyotes are beneficial, they take the rats and rodents out of the environment— we want them as a part of our ecosystem," Francene Amari-Faulkner said.
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But town officials disagree, citing at least three instances of residents getting attacked by coyotes across the Commonwealth.
"This is very much a public safety concern of the boards. It is a reaction to previous behavior that's occurred in Nahant but it's also an attempt to prevent anything worse or further action by those same animals," Town Administrator Antonio Barletta said.
By state law, Massachusetts residents can only hunt coyotes if they have the appropriate license and permit, which comes from MassFishHunt, and only in hunting zones.
At the rally, Protestor Deb Newman offered up an idea as an alternative to the killing of the coyotes, saying she's been in contact with experts in Canada and California.
"The experts will come in for free, for one week, and haze the coyotes consistently so that they get back to having a low tolerance for humans," Newman said.
WBZ's Suzanne Sausville (@wbzSausville) reports.
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