75 year old man fends off coyote, saves dog...

[Virginia Dare]

Dude bashed it on the head with a flashlight!

Seriously, though, it's disconcerting when coyotes start taking over the city and the suburbs. Momma nature ain't happy.

http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/story.jsp?idq=/ff/story/0001/20060606/1127550346.htm

[uppityperson]

1. coyotes are ubiquitous, the rat of the dog pack, all over everywhere

They can survive many places that other wild animals can't.

[u4ic]

2. Good for him!

When I used to horse back ride on the outskirts of the city, I ran into them all the time. They never bothered me; then again, I had a good sized horse.

Heck, a couple of years ago, a cougar was found not far from D/T Edmonton. Right in the centre of the city! (and it's not small...Edmonton and environs is a million people, and the mountains are 4 hrs away)

[AtomicKitten]

3. what is disconcerting

is that man is encroaching on the habitat of the ever-diminishing wildlife in this country.

That is what is causing encounters like this. The coyote was hungry and was seeking food. I am glad the old man saved the dog, but the coyote was trying to survive in a world where man keeps pushing back into his space.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

6. I agree...

When I was a kid, "the balance of nature" was a focal point of our science classes for about 3 years. Now they teach about the "food chain", which is, I suppose, more appropriate. We certainly don't have a balance...

[Virginia Dare]

7. Well, sort of...

coyotes are coming back in areas where they haven't been in a long time. I'm talking 100's of years. They've been spotted here in the D.C. suburbs, as well as in the Rock Creek Park section of the city and surrounding areas, so I guess you could say they're reclaiming what once was theirs.

What has happened is the deer population has exploded. We have more deer in Virginia now than there were in colonial times. It's only natural that the predators would follow.

I've seen more wildlife in my yard in the past yar than I've ever seen in my life.

Something is happening, but I have no idea what.

[SteppingRazor]

4. Not too disconcerting...

coyotes are everywhere. I used to see them in Los Angeles all the time, especially throughout the Hollywood Hills. They've more or less adapted to urban life. Not that this isn't a disturbing phenomenon. I'm just pointing out that coyotes have been living alongside people for a very long time now.

[Virginia Dare]

8. It's disturbing in this part of the country which is the DC suburbs...

coyotes haven't been in here in a very long time.

[RebelOne]

5. As much as I do not want to bring harm to any animal,

if a coyote were to attack my dog, it just may end up as a dead coyote. This is the fault of humans. We are building and building and encroaching on the wild animals' habitats, so they have no where else to go to find food. All the prey of the coyotes -- the rabbits and other small critters -- are being driven out of their natural habitat by home and shopping mall developments.