Coyote Sightings Likely To Increase

by Gabe BullardCoyote sightings will likely increase in Kentucky in the coming weeks.Coyotes are thought to have moved into Kentucky about 30 years ago. While there hasn't been a population boom since then, University of Kentucky forestry professor Tom Barnes, says this is the time of year when sightings increase."They're mating now and they'll be putting pups in the ground in about six weeks, five or six weeks, and they'll have to feed those pups," says Barnes.Barnes says coyotes prefer wild prey over pets, and incidents of coyotes eating cats or dogs are rare in the commonwealth. But, "If you have a domestic cat that you let out and it wanders around at night...yeah, it definitely could either be eaten or killed," he says.Barnes also says the coyotes are unlikely to carry rabies and pose little threat to humans.