Coyote sightings up in Dayton, suburbs

Coyotes have recently been seen prowling suburban streets and behind homes near wooded areas in Dayton.

Reports of the wild canine being near homes have increased, according to Jeff Kraznarich, owner of Miami Valley Wildlife Control.

Kraznarich said he gets calls about pesky coyotes nearly every day. He advises that people should leave coyotes alone, but if they are a nuisance call a pest control company or report it to your local state wildlife official.

“Most of the time people are real nervous. They see a coyote and they think they’re going to be attacked or their children will be attacked, or their dogs,” he said. “They are an opportunistic animal. Just because there are people around, don’t get too far away from your dog.”

An expert from Ohio State University will host an informational meeting about coyotes at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 27, at the Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm, 1000 Aullwood Road, Dayton.

To report a problem with coyotes, contact the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife at 1-800-WILDLIFE.