Town Website Puts Coyote Tracking Online

Brookline Website adds coyote tracking page, coyote tracking map to the GIS viewer.

Coyotes are creeping into Brookline's online landscape, on a new map from the Town Website which tracks sightings reported by users. This data is then added to a Brookline GIS map, which the town is using to track the presence of these canines in town. The webpage notes that residents can also call the Brookline police department to report their sightings and have a police response.  Part of the coyote action plan drawn up by Selectman Ken Goldstein involved potentially setting up the BrookOnLine reporting app, which users can use to report graffiti and pot holes, to include coyote sightings as an option.  Also included on the webpage is a print-out advisory/door hanger, which includes tips on keeping your home and pets safe from coyotes, …

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Moms Talk

Pecking at my Reflection

What do you do when you have a child who’s just like you?

There is a beautiful wild turkey that hangs out in a tall tree (yes, tree) in our back yard. He’s wandered the streets and yards of our neighborhood for almost two years now, somehow eluding the jaws of the Corey Hill Coyotes. He’s become so familiar with us he no longer puffs up at the bursts of loud sound forever emitting from our house.  This turkey has a routine that brings him pecking at our back door several times a week. We love this. It’s so funny to see the turkey right there on our doorstep, politely knocking to gain entry. Of course the boys want to open the door, and even I considered it for a crazy moment, before I remembered… turkeys can be mean. Then we realized he didn’t want to visit with us at all, he was merely pecking …

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Coyotes a Concern for Corey Hill Residents

Brookline woman brought the concerns of one neighborhood with coyotes present before the Board of Selectmen at last night's meeting.

Can neighbors co-exist with coyotes in Brookline? One group of residents doesn't believe so. Former schoolteacher Anne Tolkoff, representing an unofficial coalition of Corey Hill residents, brought their concerns about the coyotes to the Selectmen at last night's meeting. She said the group had recently met at her house, with over 30 neighbors in attendance, venting their worries about the fur-bearing canines. "I never thought I’d come before the board to ask for protection for my children and grandchildren," Tolkoff began. She brought a cane and a party noisemaker to demonstrate how she feels she must walk her dog with coyotes nearby.  She noted that the town's animal control officer commented to her that the coyotes were "here first." …

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Week In Review: May 16-22

A gas leak, an umbrella attack, measles announced, a cab goes swimming and a Presidential visit.

Also, if you are reading this, then the world has not actually come to an end.

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Neighbors Respond to Coyotes in Brookline

Brookline residents are concerned about the presence of feral canines in urban areas.

Coyotes are not new to Brookline. But according to one resident, their increasing fearlessness of people is a fresh twist that is causing some to fear for the safety of pets and small children. Allegra Loux, a mother who lives on Westbourne Terrace, says she has seen a notable shift in coyote activity in recent months. "It used to be, even when pulling in with the car, you'd see them and they'd just trot away immediately," says Loux, "but they don't do that anymore. They'll just like, stay, now. You'll be clapping and yelling and stuff, and they just kind of hang there like, 'what's up?'...hey're very accustomed to be there. They're turning into, like pigeons." Loux's home and backyard are currently under construction, and she has taken …

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Co-existing with Coyotes

Resourceful creatures living in Brookline, and how to live with them.

Coyotes are living in Brookline, with sightings coming in every few days. These resilient and resourceful creatures have adapted to life in forests and in suburbs, and get along peacefully with their human neighbors. The coyote looks like a little a thin German Shepard, but tends to drag its tail on the ground instead of holding it high like the dog.  Our initial call for help in tracking Brookline's coyote population got a number of responses, many sightings and some additional useful information about the creatures. According to the Audobon Society (via J Lindquist), April is the month in which coyote pups are typically born. With pups coming soon, Brookline may see increased coyote activity. Coyotes are not considered a threat to people…

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