As if turkeys, skunks, geese, rabbits and seagulls weren’t enough, we can now add coyotes to the list of animal friends that roam the campus.
Fr. von Arx, one of the first to spot the creatures, said, “a number of us saw a family of coyotes, a mother and three pups, on Bellarmine lawn this summer.”
But before you call your parents about transferring to a non-coyote inhabited school, know that Fairfield isn’t the only campus that has had encounters with these pests. The state of Connecticut is having serious problems as well, due to coyote overpopulation. One woman was actually attacked by a coyote in Branford on a rest stop off of I-95.
However, coyotes do not bother people unless the coyotes are being fed or if they have been specifically trained not to fear humans. Although the Branford rest stop story may sound shocking, it may be explained by the fact that rest stop agents were feeding the animal culprit.
However, the state has not had problems with coyotes until recently. Coyotes are not usually an extreme threat to humans. von Arx said the coyote family looked quite innocent as the puppies played with one another and their mother watched them.
“As we watched them from the Bellarmine terrace, what surprised us was that there were turkeys also on the lawn, and although the turkeys moved off, they didn’t seem terribly concerned about the presence of the coyotes,” said von Arx.
The Connecticut Post recently covered the issue of coyote overpopulation in the Connecticut. “As far as the DEP (Department of Environmental Protection) is aware, the incident in Branford at the rest stop is the first known incident of a coyote attacking a person in Connecticut,” the paper reported.
The state has been reluctant to take care of this problem, but since the attack occurred on state property, officials may not be able to turn a blind eye to our furry friends.
The first two weeks of October are the height of coyote mating season. During the first two weeks, it is legal for hunters to kill and trap the animals, unlike most times during the year when it is illegal.
Though there have been no reported sightings on campus since summer, von Arx offers students some advice: “as always with wild animals, it’s best not to bother them. You shouldn’t feed them or leave food around for them as this decreases their fear of humans.”
Many Fairfield students, including Emily Hegel ’10, were unaware of the threat and were not concerned.
“I would be afraid if I saw [a coyote while] walking to class, but I’m sure our administration is taking care of it,” Hegel said.
Other students, however, were disturbed by the coyote sightings.
“I realized we were in a woodsy area, but I never would have expected a coyote sighting on campus,” said Rebecca Beaudoin ’10.
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