Full Notification

COYOTE, WOLF, DOG OR FOX......

The Middleton Police Department has had numerous recent reports of sightings of foxes, coyotes & wolves in the city. To the untrained eye, it can be difficult - especially at a distance - to tell the difference between a wolf, coyote & domestic dog. In general, wolves are larger & bulkier while coyotes are shorter, sleek & lighter on their feet. The attached fact sheets include good identification information & further comparisons can be found at http://bit.ly/WIDNR_WolfCoyoteComparison

According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, "this time of year can be the crazy season for coyote/fox behavior. They are now getting very focused on the mating season & associated territorial squabbles. This is the time of year we’re most likely to see them out and about during the day and they can often 'ignore' people or be very curious about other dog smells, etc. We always want to be concerned about canids if they are acting sick & we do occasionally see coyote/dog interactions that almost always involve dogs off leash or uncontrolled. Please remember to obey leash laws and monitor smaller dogs in the backyard."

Despite getting several reports of wolves in the area, the WI-DNR said they have not verified any wolves in or around the city limits recently, however they are open to the possibility & would appreciate any pictures of animals or tracks of animals and added that it would be very unlikely given typical wolf habitat needs, etc.

The WI-DNR recently updated fact sheets & information sources on living with urban wildlife, which can be found at http://bit.ly/WIDNR_WildlifeHabitat