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wednesday, february 20, 2019
A coyote conundrum
Multiple coyotes spotted around campus cont’d from page 1 Three days later, Mr. Hark followed up on his previous email. “The trapper is coming on Monday at 1:00 p.m. to set traps down by the creek,” he wrote. “The coyotes don’t represent an imminent danger, but we are removing them to err on the side of student safety. It’s worth some extra vigilance from adults when moving our younger students around campus or during recess until they are removed.” The pair of e-mails sent out by Mr. Hark frame two opposing views on how an urban campus coexists with nature: is Greenhill’s response unnecessarily removing coyotes and supporting the removal of other wildlife? Or is it trapping and relocating possibly hostile animals as a means of keeping students safe? Greenhill has its own “Green Team,” a team described as an “all-community program that is made up of Greenhill parent volunteers, faculty, staff and students,” according to Greenhill’s website. The Green Team has goals that align with Greenhill’s institutional priorities. “The goal of the Green Team is to make the school a more sustainable place where we place focus on conservation of resources, green buildings and educating others about eco-friendly habits,” reads Greenhill’s website. The page is dedicated to detailing the program’s initiatives that this group has pushed.
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They’re wild animals, and it’s unfortunate that we can’t share the space, but in terms of the safety and wellbeing of the students, that was the sort of calculus I used to decide that we just need to have them removed for safety’s sake.”
Mr. Hark said he is supportive of a nature-friendly campus but can’t risk the safety of students by allowing coyotes to roam on campus. “I can’t let the limited possibility of something happening influence my decision about what to do about these animals,” he said. “Do I think that it is likely a coyote will attack someone on this campus? No, it’s not. Is it a possibility? It is. It happens.”
While coyotes can appear as aggressive, rabies-infected animals, there has only been one recorded death from a coyote in the United States, in California in 1981. Mr. Hark contends that trapping strikes the proper balance of safety and environmental concerns, but Greenhill’s New Year’s coyotes have proved wily so far. “As of [Jan. 11], the coyotes haven’t been trapped yet,” said Kendra Grace, Greenhill’s chief operating and chief financial officer, in an email response. “The traps were moved closer to field 10 because that is where we thought they were entering campus. We are monitoring their movements, but they haven’t been seen in over a week. We will continue to keep track of them, but we are hopeful that they have decided to stay away for a while.” Relocation can be environmentally problematic as well. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has warned that “moving animals may result in diseases being introduced” into animal populations. It also warns that “translocated animals may be exposed to unfamiliar diseases at their releases sites, resulting in illness or death.” At the same time, there is research in support of the wariness with which Greenhill administrators have viewed the coyotes. A study conducted by the Urban Coyote Research Project found that 37 percent of coyote attacks were classified as “predatory,” meaning “the coyote directly and aggressively pursued and bit the victim.” “There have been reports in the paper about coyotes attacking joggers,” said Mr. Hark. “They’re wild animals, and it’s unfortunate that we can’t share the space, but in terms of the safety and wellbeing of the students, that was the sort of calculus I used to decide that we just need to have them removed for safety’s sake.” Greenhill’s three fulltime security team members have also been monitoring the coyote sightings around campus. They are advising students to stay away from the animals. “It’s not that [coyotes] are passive, it’s that they’ve adapted to being surrounded by humans and living in an urban environment,” said security team member Josh Gonzalez. “They’re still wild creatures. The Texas Department of Wildlife has issued a state-wide advisory
that coyotes are carrying rabies. They look like dogs, and people will try to approach it and see that they’re not really that bad. If they start sensing that something is wrong, they’ll turn and starting biting and attacking.” Especially problematic is the fact that the coyotes have been sighted along the creek near Greenhill’s Pre-kindergarten and Kindergarten playgrounds. “With Upper School, [the coyotes are] not a big deal,” said Mr. Giorgio. “But with the younger kids off at recess, and with the Kindergarten classes and their playground backing up right into the creek, it is a real concern.” There is also a legal concern, as the school is liable should any student, especially in the younger grades, be attacked or harmed by a coyote. Mr. Hark said his concern is broader. “[Legal liability] is part of the concern, but it’s not the motivation,” said Mr. Hark. “Protecting the school from liability is part of my job, so I don’t apologize for that. But it really is about keeping the community safe first and foremost.”
Graphic by Sarah Luan and photo courtesy of Lee Hark
COYOTE CONCERN: Head of School Lee Hark said he has attempted to balance student safety with environmental coexistence.