BOCA RATON, Fla. – A wildfire trapper with Bandit Wildlife Management is on the hunt for several coyotes that have been terrorizing residents and pets in a west Boca Raton neighborhood.
Residents in the area have reported several attacks and encounters with the animals in recent weeks.
One dog was killed over the weekend and a second was snatched in broad daylight from its leash while walking with its owner Tuesday.
Those incidents and several others have been reported in the Timberwalk community and surrounding neighborhoods around Ponderosa Drive.
The wildlife trapper is disguising and baiting numerous traps with frozen chicken in an effort to catch the animals.
Residents said that although the animals are usually easily frightened, the coyotes have become more bold and aggressive, stalking people at night and now during the day.
They said a decline in the area's duck and stray cat population might be a reason for the uptick in encounters.
Wildlife specialists said male coyotes typically cover a 40-square-mile territory.
The trapper told Local 10 News that he will work with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and local wildlife sanctuaries to try to relocate the animals once they are captured.
He admitted that they might be humanely euthanized, given their aggressive behavior and how comfortable they've become around people.
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