HASTINGS-ON-HUDSON – Following
Wednesday night’s attacks by coyotes in Hastings-on-Hudson and Yonkers
where three people were bitten and a dog was killed, and additional attacks
on Thursday, a professional trapper has been hired to catch any additional
coyotes in the Village of Hastings-on-Hudson.
Mayor Peer Swiderski, Friday, announced the village is going to hire a
professional to trap and destroy any coyotes captured in the Hillside
Woods area over the next two weeks.
Following Wednesday’s initial attacks, there were five more attacks
in Greenburgh and Yonkers on Thursday. Two coyotes were pursued by Westchester
County and Yonkers Police. A county officer was bitten by a coyote as
it lunged out of the brush and it was then destroyed. The other coyote
remains at large.
Swiderski said rabies may be responsible for the attacks, but since they
cannot be certain that the attacking animal is dead and that other animals
recently infected may still be dormant and may become aggressive later,
“we must continue to act defensively for at least the next two weeks,”
he said.
Village parks will remain closed during the next two weeks while the trapper
is active. “You let your animals roam free at your own pet’s
peril – we cannot be held responsible of a pet dog or cat is ensnared
during the emergency,” Swiderski said. “I would strongly advise,
once the emergency passes and the woods are reopened, that dog walkers
keep their dogs on leash moving forward.”
