NEW ORLEANS — Coyotes have definitely made their presence known around New Orleans. So much so, that the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries was at City Hall giving information about the wild animals.
You may not always see them, but coyotes are here. Nicole Webre's security cameras record them almost every day.
"They adapt," she said. "They're extremely adaptive animals."
In fact, surveillance shown at Thursday morning featured an adult coyote and its pups not far behind a neighbor on a stroll.
"We can talk about trying to live with coyotes," she said. "But even the Humane Society states that coyotes are a nuisance and they're not meant to co-habitat with humans."
It seems more people are seeing coyotes and its making them nervous. It's why council member Jay H. Banks invited Wildlife and Fisheries to talk about the animals at a Quality of Life meeting Thursday.
"They're either coming in for food directly or they're coming in for the animals that eat the food," Melissa Collins said.
Collins spoke on a number of topics including how it's normal to see them day and night, that they jump, dig and climb, and they're smart.
"We have to pay attention to the behavior," she says. "What behaviors are these animals exhibiting? Are they walking through someone's yard? That's not cause for alarm. Are they approaching you? That's an issue."
Banks at one point asked, "in general, coyotes aren't aggressive and will not attack humans right?"
Collins replied, "that is correct."
She also said, "We need (residents) to pick up your garbage, keep your bird feeders away, remove low lying fruit, making sure you keep your yard trimmed so there isn't a place for them."
However, worry is still there, especially for those with small pets.
"We have to learn how to protect property and ourselves, or we'll have to learn how to adapt just like they adapt," Webre said.
With sightings expected to continue, officials say be vigilant and to take action only if there's a threat.
If a coyote approaches you, it's recommended you make yourself big, make a lot of noise and do things to scare it off. Small pets, they say, should not be left unattended outside. Council members also say it's illegal to shoot coyotes with city limits.