Wildwood Dog Fends Off Coyote to Protect Owner
Meet Toby, one girl's best friend.
Photos
On a recent, crisp morning, 14-year-old Emma Enright and her beloved dog, Toby, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, went to feed and water her horse as they do every morning in Wildwood.
It wasn't long after Enright arrived at the barn that she said she noticed the barn cats, which usually were there to greet her, were conspicuously absent.
She continued to go about her business, when from the corner of her eye, she said she saw a coyote stroll out of the woods.
"It wasn't really coming at me, like it was going to attack me or anything," said Enright.
However, Toby thought differently. Within seconds, Toby attacked the coyote, leaving it dead not 10 feet from where Enright stood.
"Yeah, it was a little freaky," she said.
This is a pretty rare and dramatic example of a coyote sighting, but they do happen in Wildwood and Eureka, like this one in late December, especially at residences near or surrounded by woods. Conservation officials indicate coyote encounters happen this time of year more than ever, due to the cold weather and lack of food. People are more likely to see coyotes in their front or back yards looking for their next meal in these next few months. Not to worry, though; most encounters are very brief and do not end up in any physical contact.
Coyotes are mainly carnivores, but also will eat fruit and insects, according to Missouri Department of Conservation materials. The carnivore part of their diet is mostly rodents and an occasional rabbit. But when food is scarce, a domestic cat might look like a good option for them, as well.
Generally, coyotes are an important part of our ecosystem and pose little harm to humans. They are smart animals, and are a member of the dog family. They have a very keen sense of smell and hearing, and can detect humans from up to a mile or more away, therefore, staying as far away from people as they possibly can. However, it's always a good idea to be aware of one's surroundings and rely on the "buddy system" when going into area that is known to have a coyote population.
Charyl
6:51 pm on Sunday, January 2, 2011
I live in Turnberry Pl, off Clayton Road. We see and hear coyotes all the time. Don't leave little dogs outside by themselves or they will be attacked and eaten
Jean Whitney
9:57 pm on Sunday, January 2, 2011
What a shock! What sort of injuries did the dog come out with?
Deb
10:03 pm on Sunday, January 2, 2011
Dramatic? Maybe. Rare? No way - coyotes have been quite common in the area just south of Hwy. 109 and Manchester. Several cats in our neighborhood have either been killed or severely injured. Small dogs are definitely at risk outside on their own. Finish the story - did the cats survive????
I appreciate the Patch covering local stories, but get all the facts in the stories. This is beginning to sound like a high school newspaper, grammar in particular in some stories ("...banks and investors are playing it conservative." - conservatively). I know this is nit-picky, but the dumbing down of America HAS to stop.
Karin O'Very
10:38 pm on Sunday, January 2, 2011
The barn cats nor the dog were hurt. The cats were apparently aware of the coyote before anyone else was and took cover. What is rare are coyote attacks on humans. Sightings in this area are not rare.
Deb
10:43 pm on Sunday, January 2, 2011
Glad the cats are ok :)
Chesapeake Bays are known to be quite protective of their families :)
Jane
7:01 am on Monday, January 3, 2011
On many mornings, our horses are very skiddish and do not even want to go into their stalls at the barn to eat their grain. They will run in, grab a bite and then run out and nervously look around. We live a little east of 109 and Shepard Rd. Is there not something that the City of Wildwood can do about the ever increasing number of coyotes in this area?
Julie Brown Patton
7:10 am on Monday, January 3, 2011
Jane, we will ask city officials on your (and all of our animals) behalf. Thanks. But my hunch is that it's similar to the deer management approach in that state conservation officials would be involved, or even take the lead.
Jane
10:30 am on Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Julie, Thank you. I did contact a wildlife control specialist and it would cost in excess of $1,000 and there is no guarantee. My neighbor has a horse, 2 cats and a small dog and the coyote appears on her property regularly. He is getting a little too comfortable and it makes us very nervous. I look forward to your followup.
julie burdge
9:20 am on Wednesday, January 5, 2011
There is not an increasing number of coyotes in Willdwood. There is an increasing number of people and constructi0n taking their homes.
JOYCE COULTER
3:02 pm on Friday, October 26, 2012
Agreed, Julie! There have been coyote sightings on Fullerton Meadows and Westglen Farms, which is close to Hwy. 109 and Manchester. I have also lost two cats, I am surmising to a coyote, as there is one in our area. I also used to own a Chesapeake Bay Retriever. They are amazing, courageous, loving, loyal family dogs and I can definitely see one taking down a coyote to protect it's owner, even if she didn't appear to be in trouble. They are incredibly smart! But I do agree, the wild habitat is being taken over by we humans, leaving the deer, coyote, raccoons, etc... with nowhere to go. It's sad, because then people want to make it sound like they are invading OUR territory...
Jane
10:39 am on Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Agreed. Still, what do we do about solving this problem....???
cheryl gelstein
6:21 pm on Thursday, February 17, 2011
I live in Creve Coeur and last Wednesday at 7:30am there was a coyote in my back yard. My dog, a 30 lb. mixed breed-beagle/doberman ran outside and the coyote ran away. I have an invisible fence and my dog likes to roam the yard but now I am nervous about leaving her outside. I think that there are quite a few coyotes in Creve Coeur and I have seen a number of them.