Hungry coyotes move to Atlanta suburbs

ATLANTA - Wild coyotes are becoming an increasingly familiar sight in metro Atlanta suburbs, causing animal owners to become more cautious with their pets, authorities said. <br> <br> ``We have had coyote sightings throughout areas of the park,&#39;&#39; said Bill Carroll, deputy superintendent of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, which borders a neighborhood in Roswell. <br> <br> Dogs, cats and rabbits have been disappearing in the area for months, while ``lost pet&#39;&#39; signs and animal carcasses are turning up everywhere. <br> <br> Nearly every county in the state counts the feral creatures among its wildlife even metro Atlanta suburbs. <br> <br> ``As Atlanta continues to spread urban and suburban expansion conflicts with several species of wildlife are going to increase,&#39;&#39; said Nick Nicholson, senior wildlife biologist with the Wildlife Resource Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. <br> <br> ``This is the reproductive time of the year, and a few of last year&#39;s offspring are also in the vicinity.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Coyotes weigh about 30 pounds, have fur, long legs and bushy tails. <br> <br> The good news about coyotes is that they don&#39;t stick around too long. The bad news is that no action can be taken against them unless they&#39;re spotted in a resident&#39;s yard, and even then they must be captured by a licensed trapper.

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