Thank you for speaking out against the Port Authority's plan to kill the family of coyotes living near La Guardia Airport. Tragically, the family of 10 coyotes was killed by USDA Wildlife Services on Monday and Tuesday in the middle of the night. The Port Authority released a statement on Tuesday stating "Last night, five coyotes were located and euthanized to help keep airport travelers, workers and nearby residents safe after the coyotes became acclimated to humans, increasing the possibility of an attack ... The actions were in accordance with the law for handling such situations." According to Frank Vincenti of the Wild Dog Foundation, who has been monitoring this family for months, the remaining family members were killed yesterday in the early morning. To be sure, these animals were not euthanized, they suffered tremendously - their howls could be heard for hours. http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/queens/coyote-family-raising-litter-pups-queens-article-1.2766744 There was no justifiable reason to kill them. This was a rushed decision, with no transparency or opportunity for public input. Despite the Port Authority's claims, non-lethal approaches were not exhausted. The major concerns were reported as safety fears for workers and users of Elmjack baseball fields and a TNR'ed feral cat colony. The Humane Society of the United States recommends concerted efforts to haze the coyotes away from areas where they were perceived to be a threat, and according to the Wild Dog Foundation doing so could have been accomplished by maintaining a human presence to deter them from these areas. Any execution should have been put on hold at least until a hazing program had been attempted. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/coyotes/tips/coyotes_pets.html http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/coyotes/tips/hazing_guidelines.html The Port Authority made no claim the coyotes pose a threat to aviation safety, and the agency had no business being involved in this decision making. When the Port Authority claimed the need to kill thousands of geese and other birds after the "Miracle on the Hudson" to prevent against "bird strikes" many people including government and media deferred to them, even though it was obvious to many others that a mass goose killing was a shortsighted and ineffective response. The Port Authority should have deferred to the City's plan to effectively and humanely respond to coyotes. https://nypost.com/2014/03/02/pa-killed-20k-animals-at-area-airports-in-past-two-years This situation makes clear the need for education and WildlifeNYC's focus on co-existence with urban wildlife. Killing these coyotes will not accomplish anything effective. Coyotes have returned to NYC, and they are here to stay. Just as relocating the coyotes would not have been a long term solution, because ultimately other coyotes would likely move in to the vacant habitat, such would be the case had they been relocated. Relocating the coyotes upstate would not have promised their safety – coyotes are routinely killed by hunters and farmers outside NYC. The bottom line is that coyotes are part of NYC, these animals belong here, and it's time to accept coexistence with wildlife as the solution. We cannot just relocate every wild animal that scares or inconveniences us. Spreading understanding and creating ways to live alongside these animals must be the focus of efforts. http://www.amny.com/news/nyc-coyotes-a-history-1.9799389 www1.nyc.gov/site/wildlifenyc/initiatives/coyotes.page To register your outrage with the Port Authority, please call (212) 435-3008 and leave a message with your feedback. http://www.panynj.gov/contact/contact-us.html