On Tuesday, families are able to return to an Arlington park that's been closed since last week due to reported coyote attacks.
Parkway Central Park is reopening days after the animal believed responsible for biting three children since Feb. 10 was captured and humanely euthanized. On Friday, city officials announced the animal tested negative for rabies.
However, experts are still warning people not to let their guard down.
"Coyotes are everywhere. It's not just in this park. They are all over the state. They are in all the main cities. Urban coyotes are really a thing now. So please always be aware of your surroundings,” said Ashley Woolnough, city of Arlington animal services manager.
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City officials said other coyotes were observed around the park but that they did not display any concerning behavior at that time and the USDA staff does not consider them a threat to the public at this time. They will continue monitoring the area and assessing citizen reports to determine if more coyotes need to be removed.
“Coyotes that are acting naturally and have that innate fear of people we are not as concerned about,” Woolnough said. “It’s the ones that are actually approaching people and acting aggressively towards people. Those are the ones that we are trying to target.”
According to the city's wildlife sightings map there have been several coyote sightings in and around the park in the last few years. However, these recent reports of bites are the first in the city’s history.
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For now, officials are reminding residents that North Texas is at the peak of coyote mating season.
"Keep your pets on a six-foot leash. That way you have them close by. Ensure that they're not on one of those flexi leads where they can get 15 or 20 feet out away from you,” said Woolnough. “Keep trash put up, don't leave bags of trash out. Keep them in containers. And carry a walking stick, an air horn, or something to deter the animal if you do have an encounter."
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU ENCOUNTER A COYOTE?
If you're out on a walk or playing in the park and encounter a coyote, there are a few things you can do to stay safe as we coexist.
- Do NOT turn and run. Instead, look the animal in the eye and back up slowly.
- Make loud noises by yelling or talking loudly. Try to appear bigger than you are by holding out your arms or by holding them in the air. This act of "hazing" can be intimidating and may make the animal afraid to come any closer.
- Create some distance between you and the animal by slowly backing up or by carrying a stick you can use to keep the animal at bay.
- If there is a rock or stone nearby, hold it and/or use it to throw it at the animal to convince it not to follow you.
- When going out for a walk, carry a whistle, air horn, or a can of rocks -- anything that makes a lot of noise could intimidate the animal.
- Animals like coyotes are generally not aggressive toward humans and they try to avoid contact with people. A coyote that has become habituated to humans, or used to being around them, will be less inclined to run away and may be more aggressive toward people. To prevent coyotes from becoming habituated, it's recommended people avoid leaving food or trash around as easy food sources and that people repeatedly haze a coyote to discourage future encounters.
- Texas Parks and Wildlife offers the following resources for coexisting with urban coyotes.
