Police and a sharpshooter hired by Greenwood Village have killed six coyotes since early this year, the city said Monday. Four of the animals were killed by police. Two others were killed by a contractor, Animal Damage Control.
The city’s decision to kill coyotes has angered animal-rights groups, but Greenwood Village said the coyotes have become acclimated to their urban environment and, in some cases, aggressive.
There have been “multiple reports” in recent weeks of coyotes chasing residents in the area of Monaco Park. On other occasions, the animals have jumped 6-foot privacy fences into backyards near Tommy Davis Park.
Greenwood Village said the first coyote was killed in January near Westlands Park after a 14-year-old boy was attacked. The City Council in early February formally approved limited shooting of coyotes in public areas of the city, including parks, greenbelts and watersheds.
Some people protested Friday evening just hours after police shot and killed a coyote that two residents said attacked their dogs as they walked near Monaco Park. Howard Pankratz, The Denver Post
