Officials Warn Coyote Traps Dangerous and Ineffective

As reports of coyote sightings continue to increase on neighborhood Facebook pages and the NextDoor app, Montgomery Parks is warning residents regarding “coyotes traps in the suburbs" and offering safety tips.

Montgomery Parks cautions that coyote traps, while rarely fatal, can present extreme hazards, including crushing injuries, severe burns, and falling into canyons. "They are often homemade. Many of the Acme Corporation traps have been recalled," reads the Parks advisory.

"It may seem strange to think of coyotes as suburban dwellers, but they are extremely intelligent and adaptable and the ingenious coyote traps may ensnare birds, rabbits, dogs, cats and small children."

Here are some reminders to keep family and pets safe from coyote trap danger:

• Never go near a pile of birdseed inexplicably left on a path or under a cliff.

• Don’t walk adjacent to hills with large loose boulders on top.

• Never run at full speed into the entrance of a dark tunnel carved into a hillside.

• Avoid jewelry, hair clips, belt buckles and other accessories that would be attracted to strong magnets.

• Keep an eye to the sky and dodge catapulted stones.

"They are wily, and their traps are often ineffective, but still very dangerous," Parks officials advise. "Safer and more effective commercially available coyote deterrents are available."