Coyotes seen near Memorial Park: a biologist weighs in

Recently a few Houstonians have reported seeing coyotes roaming near the Memorial Park area.



Check out these other animals that can be found living in Memorial Park ... Recently a few Houstonians have reported seeing coyotes roaming near the Memorial Park area.



Check out these other animals that can be found living in Memorial Park ... Photo: Russell Burden, Getty Images Photo: Russell Burden, Getty Images Image 1 of / 42 Caption Close Coyotes seen near Memorial Park: a biologist weighs in 1 / 42 Back to Gallery

A recent Houston TV news report serves as a reminder that some of the biggest fans of Memorial Park aren’t clad in Spandex and Nike trainers.

We all know that Memorial Park isn’t just for families and exercise buffs; it’s also home to some interesting wildlife. It’s normal for joggers to encounter snakes, poisonous and otherwise, on the running trails.

Every few days comes a weird tale of someone encountering a wild animal of some sort while visiting Memorial Park to run or otherwise enjoy nature sans exercise.

An injured five-foot alligator was found and euthanized in 2004.

If you haven’t been stung by a bee while running out there, you aren’t a part of the club, apparently. (See the photos above for just some of the animals who call the park home).

This week KPRC-TV reported on a series of coyote sightings near the park at Memorial Drive and Westcott. Witnesses said they also have seen coyotes in an area parking garage.

Urban wildlife biologist Diana Foss from our local Wildlife Diversity Program with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department says coyotes are a distinct part of Houston’s ecosystem.

“We have coyotes, of course, in the Houston and Harris County area and they will use any green space they can,” Foss says. She says as more development comes to Houston, the need to educate people about coyotes becomes imperative.

Interestingly, Foss says, coyote pairs mate for life.

“If coyotes include you in their territory they will defend it against other roving coyotes, but the trick is to make sure the coyotes are exhibiting standard coyote behavior,” says Foss. That means generally being afraid or timid around people.

“If you see them at night, that’s perfect. If they see you and run, that is what you want them to do,” Foss says.

But if they stand their ground and stare at you, Foss says, it means that it probably isn’t as concerned about you as it should be.

Foss says at this point you should stand up, yell, and throw things at it to make it averse to human contact.

“You need to put fear back into that coyote,” Foss says. “Get concerned if they don’t move after all that.”

Foss says that taking them out of an area creates a hole in the ecosystem, which is not good.

“They have their own role to play in our ecosystem,” she says.

Foss recommends that you stick with your pet if you are walking a dog near where there have been coyote sightings. A coyote may see a dog, even a small one, as competition for food and resources, and not a furry family member that you see it as.

Foss says Buffalo Bayou near Memorial Park allows animals all they would need to survive through Houston’s so-called “seasons.”

“Wildlife often uses the bayous as travel corridors, allowing animals to move from location to location,” she says.