Dumb assed back east liberals. I think we ought to reintro wolves here as well.
The howling you may hear in the city at night is the wail of coyotes.
David Sherris of Jamaica Plain already knows just how ominous the sound can be. His pet terrier, Maggie, was killed by a coyote this spring.
``I really didn't know they were in our back yards. Now I go in my back yard and I'm looking over my shoulder,'' Sherris said.
City Councilor John M. Tobin is calling for a city task force to look into the coyote encroachment in Boston neighborhoods.
He's not alone. Animal control is also on alert.
``I've noticed a dramatic increase in sightings,'' said Sgt. Charles Rudack of Boston Animal Control. ``We're not used to them being in the city. . . . We can't trap them. We're restricted. Nobody wants to see these unfortunate situations happen. We need more guidelines from the state.''
Coyotes have been spotted not only in Jamaica Plain back yards but also on Hub roadways.
Why are there so many coyotes getting a taste for urban living? A referendum passed in 1996 makes the trapping of coyotes and other wild animals illegal under Massachusetts law. The trapping ban will likely make the job of the task force even more difficult.
As a first step, the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals suggests city residents stop feeding the coyotes and keep dogs on a leash.
``I live in America, and I don't want to worry that my own child is out in the yard,'' Sherris told the city
I don't suppose people will stop feeding them and I am betting animal control is concerned because they will have less to do with the increase of song dogs...
