AHA: Don't kill coyotes

The Post:

Two leading animal rights groups are converned [sic] about the way Greenwood Village has decided to deal with its coyote population.

One of those groups — the American Humane Association — sent a letter today to Greenwood Village Mayor Nancy Sharpe and city council members. The letter, written by the vice president of the Animal Protection Division, Debrah Schnackenberg, adamantly disagreed with the city's plan to shoot and trap the coyotes without researching the problem extensively, as the Colorado Division of Wildlife recommended Thursday. . . .

The city says its plan is in response to numerous complaints by residents about overly aggressive coyotes. So far this year, Greenwood Village has received 71 reports about coyotes, compared with 186 in all of 2008 and 111 in 2004. . . .

The AHA suggests Greenwood Village use long-term tactics to prevent direct human enounters with coyotes.

"The most effective long-term strategy is prevention, and that is only going to be achieved through education on how to effectively live with coyotes by keeping food that attracts them picked up, keeping cats [and small children--ed.] indoors, etc.," said the letter.