McAllen flooded with calls of coyote sightings

MCALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — From McAllen to a Pharr commercial area and Tanglewood in Mission, coyotes have been seen recently.

In fact, one was captured just right next to a movie theatre in Pharr near the expressway.

City of McAllen Director for Environmental Health Code and Animal Care Services Nancy Trevino says the animals are adapting to their surroundings.

“They will move in a radius of about a mile and a half to two miles from where they initially live," Trevino said. "So, with the clearing of land, and the new construction coming in, these animals are moving but we see them primarily in the northern part of mcallen up in that oxford 23rd area, up to the south side of mcallen passed a champion lakes golf course.”

Trevino says they work closely with the Texas Parks and Wildlife on sightings. But they cannot pick up or relocate wildlife because it is against state law.

Trevino says they only relocate the animals if they are considered dangerous and lethal.

Ernesto Garcia-Ortega with Texas Parks and Wildlife says people can easily scare them away by simply yelling, throwing a rock, and keeping their distance.

He says this is done to preserve wildlife and also hopes that city leaders develop a better system of reporting for aggressive cases.

“If I see a coyote two kilometers away, and I feel that I am in danger that’s probably not a good basis, so what I want to do is encourage local leaders to come up with a reporting system where they can scale up and rank the coyote behavior," Garcia-Ortega said. “Wildlife belong to the lower Rio Grande Valley. They were here before us.”

Garcia-Ortega says that the heat might be another reason why they are coming out more as they look for shade and food. However, the research is limited to know that for certain.

As they are looking for food, Trevino says people should be careful with their small pets and children.

“We've seen a lot of mobility," Trevino said. "So, if you do again, be cautious, know your surroundings. Don't leave toddlers unattended, especially when you know that there are coyotes in the area. Don't leave your children outside alone.”