Coyote concerns raised, abated in Holmes Beach

More people are seeing coyotes in Holmes Beach.

And concerns are rising about the threat they could pose to people, pets and wildlife.

“Is it a problem that is going to grow, and what exactly can we do about that?” Mark Hanson, a Holmes Beach resident, asked city commissioners Dec. 11 at their meeting.

He said he is concerned the animals might attack humans and asked if city officials considered a solution.

Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said he has seen coyotes on Anna Maria Island for several years, but the public recently has become more aware of their presence due to photos and shared accounts of sightings.

“In the past, we didn’t have the same way of letting people know of all the things that are going on,” Tokajer said, referring to social media. “They are just part of the natural wildlife. They have not been aggressive in this area that I’ve heard from anyone.”

He said he spoke with representatives from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, Longboat Key Police Department and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, who said they have had no reports of aggression by coyotes against humans.

“As long as they are not aggressive, FWC has no intention of doing anything to remove them,” Tokajer said. “Neither do we.”

He said wildlife trappers he spoke with said the methods for removing the animals often are ineffective or harmful to the animals, which is inhumane.

Tokajer said using air-horns or other noisemaking devices to scare away coyotes has been effective for people who have had encounters. Coyotes generally are afraid of humans.

Mayor Judy Titsworth, a third-generation islander, said, “Born and raised here, there hasn’t been a problem yet.”

Hanson suggested tracking the sightings to gain an understanding of how many coyotes there might be on the island, adding that development could be forcing the animals out of their former habitats.

Tokajer said land clearing in northwest Bradenton could be to blame.

“There’s going to be wildlife,” the chief said. “And every time we build a new community, it pushes wildlife into a new area.”

Titsworth added that an area where trees recently were cleared on 47th and 48th streets in Holmes Beach might have housed a habitat and the clearing left the animals displaced.

She said the animals only become a problem when the health, safety and welfare of people — and the coyotes — become an issue.

“We as humans can’t really intervene and save everything,” she said. “Right now, we need to make sure if there’s coyotes here, that they’re healthy, not carrying diseases or attacking people with dogs on a leash. That’s where we would have to step in.”