Jessica Ludevall recently left her Highland Park home to take her two dogs, Taji and B.B., for their daily strolls on a nearby beach. Within minutes of their arrival, B.B. received a one-inch gash on top of her head, inflicted by one of two coyotes that chased after both of her dogs, she said.
“When she ran to me, she was very subdued and there was a big gouge on the top of her head,” Ludevall said. “Just one big gash.”
The attack last week on Ludevall’s dogs was one of two such coyote incidents that occurred within days of each other, police said. In the second incident, a woman reported that she was followed by a coyote while she was walking her dog near the corner of Roger Williams Avenue and Sheridan Road.
As a result, police are warning Highland Park residents living in the southeast part of the city to be on the lookout for coyotes.
“Residents, parents and pet owners in south east Highland Park (bordered by Sheridan Road to the west, Lake Cook Road to the south, Lake Michigan to the east and Roger Williams Avenue to the north) are encouraged to exercise caution to prevent similar incidents,” an alert from police to residents said.
More coyote incidents like those in Highland Park appear to be on the rise, especially in northeastern Illinois, said Bob Bluett, a wildlife biologist with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
During the past few years, there’s been a steady increase in the number of coyotes removed from Illinois regions where they had been causing trouble. Last year, coyote captures jumped 21 percent statewide from 679 in 2008 to 820 coyotes in 2009. Of that total in 2009, 480 came from northeastern Illinois, which also was an increase from the year before when 399 were captured in that region, Bluett said.
“We aren’t sure why there has been an increase,” Bluett said. “Maybe each generation of coyotes becomes more well adapted to living in proximity to people.”
Ludevall’s entanglement with coyotes cost her $300 in veterinarian bills, she said. B.B. received six staples and stitches after a canine tooth ripped into the soft fur of the 8-year-old Brittany spaniel and blue heeler mix.
The morning of Dec. 29 had started typically enough with Ludevall walking B.B. and Taji to the beach at the end Lakewood Place at about 8:15 a.m. B.B. had run ahead of Ludevall and Taji when suddenly, B.B. came barrelling toward Ludevall with what looked like a coyote chasing her.
That caused Taji, a 2-year-old Rhodesian ridgeback, to sprint toward B.B. and the coyote.
At that point, the tables were turned. B.B. and Taji began a hot pursuit of the coyote that was now hightailing it in the other direction. For a few seconds, Ludevall lost sight of both her dogs that ran behind snow drifts and bushes. Then, Taji ran back in Ludevall’s direction with B.B. in tow, but this time her spaniel mix was being chased by two coyotes.
About 50 feet away from Ludevall, the coyotes quit their pursuit of B.B. that was now bleeding from a head wound.
“I was screaming and yelling and waving my arms,” Ludevall said. “I think that scared them away finally.”
Bluett said coyotes tend to attack people and dogs for two reasons: food and territory. Another added factor is that it’s breeding season for the next two months, he said.
“In this instance, it sounds to me like it was territory,” Bluett said.”It is not common, but it does happen.”
