Coyotes removed from Chicago park after residents fed them, let them play with pets

CHICAGO – Two coyotes were removed from a park on Chicago’s North Side after people began feeding them and letting them play with their dogs, according to an email from the alderman of the ward.

Alderman Pat O’Connor said the coyotes were becoming aggressive toward people in Winnemac Park.

People had been feeding the coyotes and letting them play with their dogs off-leash, he said in the email to residents.

“Feeding wild animals is never a good idea because it alters the natural behavior of the animal and its subsequent interaction with others that they come in contact with,” the email stated. “This can end in tragic circumstances when people react in a way that is counter to those who have fed or engaged in playful interaction with their pets.”

O’Connor said his office, as well as the city’s 311 line, recently got calls from residents saying they were “harrassed, followed and menaced” by the coyotes.

Animal Control relocated the coyotes to a wildlife rehabilitation center in suburban Barrington, Ill.