A followup story on the coyote incident was printed in this morning's Worcester (MA) newspaper.
Pat T
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Sunday, April 30, 2006
Coyotes on prowl
Critters lay claim to human habitat
By George Barnes TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
[email protected]
ROYALSTON— John Melvin hasn’t been doing much hiking and fishing since he was attacked by a coyote April 17, but the experience is not going to keep him from enjoying the secluded areas of northern Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
He does, however, plan to buy a new can of Mace and bring it with him.
The Mace may have saved Mr. Melvin, 20, of Gardner, who suffered puncture wounds to his arm when an aggressive coyote bit him while he was camping at a shelter on the Tully Trail near Royalston Falls. Mr. Melvin used a can of Mace he was carrying to drive off the attacking coyote.
Mr. Melvin said he grew up in Royalston, spending the first 19 years of his life there. He knows and loves the woods in the town and will not let the attack keep him from returning to the region, where he enjoys hiking, camping and fly fishing in the waterways.
Having spent time in the woods, Mr. Melvin said seeing three coyotes was not unusual, but the attack was unexpected.
“I’ve seen them before, but I’ve never had a problem,” he said.
Mr. Melvin said he saw a black bear and a cub five weeks ago and also did not feel threatened.
Why the coyote attacked this time is anybody’s guess. It could have been rabid, but no one has been able to find the animal to have it tested. As a precaution, Mr. Melvin is taking medication to prevent the onset of rabies. He said his arm is still sore from the injuries, but once he recovers, he expects to go hiking again.
Coyotes are becoming more and more a fact of life, especially in Royalston. Although the attack on Mr. Melvin is of concern, no one is ready to say people should skip hiking and camping in forests and parks in town.
Royalston is blessed with several of the state’s top natural wonders, including Doane’s Falls, Jacob’s Hill, Spirit Falls, Long Pond, Tully Lake and Royalston Falls.
Dick O’Brien, central region supervisor from the Trustees of Reservations, which owns the Royalston Falls property, said there is an overpopulation of coyotes in the deep woods of the Royalston area, which hikers and campers need to take into consideration. He said people should not hike and camp alone and should avoid leaving food around that would attract the animals.
The attack took place at a shelter along the 18-mile Tully Trail, which ties several public and private properties together.
“What we’re telling people is there have been and will be coyotes in the area,” Mr. O’Brien said. “We promote ‘leave no trace’ camping.”
Mr. O’Brien explained that people should carry out whatever was brought into the woods, especially leftover food.
The Trustees of Reservations plans to open its Tully Lake Campground in Royalston for the season May 26. Mr. O’Brien said he does not anticipate any problems for campers from the coyote that attacked Mr. Melvin, or from any other coyotes. It is rare that people using the Trustees’ nature and recreational areas have problems with wild animals, he said.
The campground is billed as a primitive area, but the visibility of people in the campground should discourage most visits by hungry coyotes, Mr. O’Brien said. A rabid animal would be more likely to bother campers, but there is full-time staff to help deal with any problems.
Philip Leger of the Royalston Board of Health said that when people hike in the woods, it is important to use common sense. He said people should not feed or disturb wild animals.
“No one’s saying don’t hike,” he said, “just use common sense. If you run into any wild animals rearing young, go the other way.”
In all cases, try to avoid animals, he said, reiterating that people should avoid any type of physical contact with living or dead animals.
There have been some cases of rabid coyotes in the state in recent years, but few in number. Mr. Leger said statistics compiled from the beginning of 1992 to the end of 2002 show that based on percentages of animals found to be rabid versus the number of animals submitted for testing, coyotes were sixth on the list.
As would be expected, he said, raccoons were No. 1, and skunks No. 2. Both animals had large numbers submitted for testing. Of the raccoons submitted, 42 percent tested positive for rabies. Of the skunks, 37 percent tested positive. Third-highest were foxes — 17 percent testing positive — although only 511 foxes were tested, compared to 5,107 raccoons and 3,223 skunks.
Mr. Leger said people might be surprised to learn that the fourth-highest percentage testing positive for rabies was cows. Thirteen of 83 were found to have rabies. Pigs were next: Three of 23 proved to be rabid. Coyotes, at 9 percent — six of 65 tested positive — were sixth.
High percentages, although smaller samples, included chinchillas— one was rabid — and two of four otters. There were also two fishers found to be rabid of 21 tested. The largest numbers tested were domestic cats — 13,094 — but both cats and dogs were found to be rabid in only 1 percent of the cases. Also lower on the list were woodchucks, 6 percent rabid; bats, 5 percent; and horses, 3 percent.
During the period, 56 types of animals were submitted for testing. In 18 of those cases, at least one animal was found to be rabid. No rabid animals were found among the other 38 types of animals, including the 1,167 squirrels submitted for testing.
Colleen Olfenbuttel, biologist for the state Division of Fisheries & Wildlife, said the office will probably never know if the coyote that attacked Mr. Melvin was rabid, but that the victim’s story indicates the animal may not have been suffering from the disease.
“Usually a rabid animal is solitary,” she said.
Because the disease causes the animals to act abnormally, other coyotes tend to avoid them. The coyote that attacked Mr. Melvin was with two other coyotes. Also, since that the attack took place in an area where food could have been left around, the coyote may have become habituated or used to humans — and may have become bolder because it associated people with food. Coyotes are naturally wary, but lose the wariness when they spend too much time around people.
