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The environment desk at Aspen Public Radio covers issues in the Roaring Fork Valley and throughout the state of Colorado including water use and quality, impact of recreation, population growth and oil and gas development. APR’s Environment Reporter is Elizabeth Stewart-Severy.

Pet owners cautioned about aggressive coyotes

Courtesy of Colorado Parks and Wildlife

The winter months are prime time for spotting coyotes, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) officials warn that the predators may become more aggressive in January and February.

Coyotes breed in the first months of the year. CPW officials say as the predators pair up to find space to have their young, they can become more territorial and hostile.

 

John Armstrong with Pitkin County Open Space and Trails said it’s rare to see aggressive coyotes in the Roaring Fork Valley, but packs of the animals have killed two dogs in recent years.

On the Front Range, incidents with coyotes are increasing as development reaches further into what was once prairie.

Armstrong and CPW both advise keeping pets leashed, even in areas where it is not required.   

Aspen native Elizabeth Stewart-Severy is excited to be making a return to both the Red Brick, where she attended kindergarten, and the field of journalism. She has spent her entire life playing in the mountains and rivers around Aspen, and is thrilled to be reporting about all things environmental in this special place. She attended the University of Colorado with a Boettcher Scholarship, and graduated as the top student from the School of Journalism in 2006. Her lifelong love of hockey lead to a stint working for the Colorado Avalanche, and she still plays in local leagues and coaches the Aspen Junior Hockey U-19 girls.
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