Neighbors fear coyotes have taken over vacant mansion

[JRLeft]

CLEARWATER, Fla.- Even during the day, a boarded up mansion on Ridgewood Street in Clearwater is like a scene out of a scary movie. The home has been abandoned for years.

"It's completely overgrown," says Allie Lyon who lives down the street. She fears the property has become a breeding ground for all kinds of animals including a pack of coyotes.

"We have a 5 foot lizard which is very aggressive species... living on that property. We've had lots of rat problems; rats going through the neighborhood and going through our homes and yards. And now the coyotes are coming out in broad daylight and being in our front yards," says Lyon. "It's very scary."

Those coyotes are what have everyone most concerned. One neighbor snapped several photos after one came out in the middle of the day Thursday.

"For some reason that coyote keeps going towards her house," said Sema VanBomel of her neighbor's yard. "It's like trying to get over the fence."

Video at the link: http://www.wtsp.com/news/article/279901/250/Neighbors-fear-coyotes-have-taken-over-vacant-mansion

[freshwest]

1. So, no housing laws or animal control... Libertarian utopia...

[JRLeft]

3. Florida, I would expect nothing else. A Monitor Lizard lives in that house too.

[freshwest]

19. It would seem someone would have come to get that animal, at the very least. It's not native, and

It is dangerous. If Clearwater has abandoned housing ordinance and code violations, or otherwise abrogated its duty to public safety, something is very wrong there. It just seems unbelievable.

I'm wondering if the property is backed up to some wilderness area or not. Or is there is more to this story, that a developer wants that house razed.

Is there a way for people in the neighborhood to find out who the property owner is from county records? It may be that this story will spur some reaction by someone?

If the story is true, and not exaggeated, it is definitely not safe, don't know how that is being allowed to get that way.

[yardwork]

60. Isn't Clearwater the headquarters of the Scientology group?

Clearwater seems to be a strange place, from what I've heard.

The article is very one-sided, though. No investigative reporting at all. The reporter just talked to some neighbors and wrote down what they said. It seems very unlikely that coyotes would attack children. Cats or small dogs, yes. Children, no. The Monitor Lizard - if that is true - seems like a much bigger danger.

[JHB]

67. See map link at #66. Not against a wilderness area, in the center of a housing area...

...streets w/houses all around.

[Robb]

2. How can you have rat AND reptile problems?

[JRLeft]

4. The rats may be why the Monitor Lizard is there.

[defacto7]

8. Rats breed faster

than reptiles can eat them usually. Reptiles only eat when they're hungry, they're not like rodents that eat constantly if there is food and breed like... rats.

[JRLeft]

11. Coyotes can feast on rats too.

[nolabear]

12. LOL that was my thought too. You need you a gator and a couple rogue boas.

Don't mean to make light of it, but you know Florida. You have to work 24/7 to kep nature beaten back, and then there's the stuff that gets introduced.

Watch out for the poisonous stuff.

[tama]

5. Would be funny if the fear of nature was not so sad nt

[Logical]

6. One time dogs took over and successfully ran an intercity Wendy's. n-t

[pinboy3niner]

14. Wow! That must have been arf-ful.

[backscatter712]

7. I personally have no fear of coyotes.

Being in Colorado, I'm used to coyotes, foxes, occasional mountain lions and bears in the area - if I see one, my first impulse is to reach for a camera.

[defacto7]

9. They usually aren't dangerous..

BUT.. in human populated areas, they can catch and carry a lot of diseases.

[amborin]

20. there are a lot of coyotes in and around los angeles and they don't transmit any diseases. eom

[kestrel91316]

26. They think they are a hidden reservoir of heartworm, which is a dog problem.

But they aren't a threat to people. You just wave your hands and shout BOO and they turn and run.

[amborin]

30. yes, but heartworm is still fairly low-occurring in the west;

you're right, coyotes are no threat

[kestrel91316]

47. They have found heartworm in a few coyotes in LA County.

So from there it can make its way into the dog population and become established.

Not a good situation. Because where we have it in dogs, we have it in cats (though at less than 10% the incidence).

[amborin]

50. poor coyotes! they have such a hard life eom

[defacto7]

36. I don't think of them as a threat either

I am more concerned with the diseases they GET from human waste. Dry area canines have different sets of problems than wet area canines. There are more insect born problems as well as fecal carried issues. It's mostly human garbage that's problematic for the animals, but the wet climate makes a difference.

[amborin]

41. yes, and the poor things also get poisoned when folks use rat poison....eom

[lastlib]

34. I wouldn't be afraid of one....

...but a small pack of only 3 or 4 could be dangerous to a lone (unarmed) human.

[coalition_unwilling]

63. It'e the wily ones you have to watch out for - n/t

[backscatter712]

69. Those ones keep getting anvils dropped on them. n/t

[coalition_unwilling]

78. LOL. I have no come-back :) - n/t

[dixiegrrrrl]

10. rabies would be a valid concern.

[JRLeft]

17. Especially from the rats. Rats carry a multitude of diseases.

[kestrel91316]

27. Zoonosis FAIL, lol. Rats have nothing whatsoever to do with rabies.

[JRLeft]

32. Rats do carry rabies like a lot of wild animals. I have seen rabid rats, foxes, and coyotes.

[kestrel91316]

48. If you've ever seen a documented case of rabies in a rat,

you better tell the CDC. Because that would truly be an earthshaking development.

I am sort of a minor local public health celebrity here in L.A. in association with a rabies case, so I am going to pull rank here, lol.

I'm QUITE sure you are mistaken about rabies in rats.

http://www.cdc.gov/rabies/exposure/animals/wildlife_reservoirs.html

[hobbit709]

55. Extremely rare but it has happened.

http://www.ratbehavior.org/WildRatDisease.htm

[kestrel91316]

61. It's not a concern. Same as rabbit rabies.

The real concern is: skunks, bats, foxes, bats, raccoons, bats, coyotes, more bats, and even more raccoons. On rare occasion, opossums.

Elsewhere in the world, wolves (Iran) also.

In the domestic animal department: dogs, cats, cattle, horses; infrequently sheep and goats and pigs.

[coalition_unwilling]

64. I think squirrels can also carry rabies, but am not 100% sure. Might be an urban legend. - n/t

[kestrel91316]

71. They do not. As mammals, they can of course be experimentally infected, but the

real life scenario is: not gonna happen. Like rabbits, they are not going to survive an attack by a rabid animal, but also they are so wary and fast that they aren't going to get caught by one.

[coalition_unwilling]

77. Interesting. So if a person gets bitten by (what he or she thought) was a tame squirrel, the

person who gets bitten does not need to worry about contracting rabies? Back when they were kids, one of my wife's cousins was hand-feeding a squirrel and its tooth slipped over the nut and into her finger. Wife thinks cousin got rabies shots for it.

But everything you've written makes perfect sense too

[freshwest]

21. Where I once lived coyotes carried not only rabies, but plague. No kidding.

Last edited Mon Oct 29, 2012, 07:36 PM - Edit history (1)

[kestrel91316]

49. Plague, yes. Rabies, never.

[freshwest]

72. Any warm blooded animal can carry rabies. Where I lived they put out vaccine in meat for coyotes.

Skunks, squirrels, rabbits, cattle, bats, goats, dogs and cats can carry rabies. The plague is carried by the fleas, wild animals don't get dipped to get rid of them. Also people can die from rabies.

I had the misfortune to have my kid have to be vaccinated for rabies twice from exposure and was given this information from my state rabies control offiicals. They showed me on the map where theses cases were, including a young ranch hand who was bitten by a bat but didn't think much of it. When he got to the point to where the symptoms began to evidence, it was too long.

The state had to keep records of all of the cases and presented it to me when I had to drive to their office to get the vaccine.

Why do you say never?

[kestrel91316]

76. While it is theoretically possible for any warm-blooded animal to be infected with rabies,

the on-the-ground reality of the situation in North America is this:

http://www.cdc.gov/rabies/exposure/animals/wildlife_reservoirs.html

Skunks, raccoons, bats, foxes, coyotes are the biggies. Here in SoCal we have had a very few cases in opossums (Orange County). In domestic animals in North America, dogs used to be the big problem but now it's cats (because rabies control regulations for dogs have been so effective, but such laws are rare for cats). Other livestock such as cattle and horses, and to a lesser extent sheep and goats and llamas can get it.

Squirrels, rats, and rabbits are HIGHLY UNLIKELY to ever have rabies. It's not impossible, just not something you or even I (as a veterinarian) are ever going to have to worry about. In So Cal it's ALL ABOUT THE BATS. Back east, the raccoons are the problem, and in the midwest it's the skunks.

Disclaimer: I sort of became a local rabies expert years ago when I diagnosed the most recent case of domestic animal rabies in Los Angeles County. It's why zoonoses are such a major interest for me now, especially rabies. So I'm not just reading stuff on the internet and pontificating, lol. I have years' of undergraduate and graduate level course work in virology and immunology under my belt, and 30 years of practice.

ETA: Heck, there have been some rabid MOUNTAIN LIONS in CA in recent decades, and that ought to scare the bejeezus out of anybody who likes to spend time in the outdoors. IIRC sometimes bears and bobcats turn up with it. Mainly it's the predators and omnivores - not so much an issue in prey animals/herbivores.

ETA: Found this: http://www.ratbehavior.org/WildRatDisease.htm#Rabies Not impossible, but virtually unheard of in the US. I thought the rabid Norway rats thing in SE Asia was scary, though.

[freshwest]

83. The data I was given came from the Texas DSHS - Infectious Disease Control Unit.

I was living in a county in which rabies were considered epidemic and had to drive a long way to get vaccine and register the exposure with the state:



Although I was living there earlier than that map, and this link mentions the plan in effect for later years, it was in effect with drops and bait in my area back then:

The Texas Department of State Health Services Zoonosis Control Branch will initiate its Oral Rabies Vaccination Program’s 2012 distribution of oral rabies vaccine for wildlife on January 4th. The campaign will distribute approximately 1,851,131 individual vaccine/bait units over South and West-Central Texas during the two week plus undertaking. Target wildlife species include coyotes and gray foxes. Anyone finding one of the vaccine/bait units is encouraged to leave it alone as wildlife can smell the human scent. The vaccine will not hurt pets or livestock if they consume one of the vaccine/bait units; they also can be vaccinated as usual through a veterinarian. You should wash your hands with soap and water if you have skin contact with the liquid portion (vaccine); if you have an immunocompromising health condition, please inform your family physician immediately about your contact with a live vaccine.

http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/idcu/disease/rabies/orvp/

I'm glad that you are doing work to protect public health in California. You still have explained your use of the word 'never.' Fine, if you want to say that.

I know about the fear of rabies and the cost of having to have a child immunized twice. Once from a skunk bite, who I had to have a veterinarian cut his head off and send it to the state lab, and playing with a stray cat who had wandered onto our ranch.

My experiences certainly don't come with credentials such as yours, and am not into finding things 'on the internet' to 'pontificate' about. I am simply stating the facts as they were given to me and as I lived them.

We are not communicating well. See you around. EOM.

[kestrel91316]

84. I don't understand what you are getting all snippy about. Sheesh.

I'm just trying to make sure people don't get wildly inaccurate ideas about this disease.

Oh, and be glad you were able to get rabies PEP in Texas. Republicans want to put an end to the very concept of public health departments that track this sort of thing and make rabies vaccine available to people who get exposed. Someday soon it will only be for the 1%.

[freshwest]

85. Go with God.

[Mojorabbit]

13. Florida is full of coyotes

I live in Orlando and we have them here in the city. They are adapting and making a living as best as they can.

[JRLeft]

16. And Coyotes are one of the smartest animals on the planet.

[Coyotl]

23. Granted, humans are almost as smart.

[former-republican]

35. wicked smart and they learn fast when hunted

[formercia]

81. Only if you miss n/t

[Hugabear]

42. Nonsense

How many times have they tried to catch the Road Runner, and failed?

[JRLeft]

43. They are a 1000 times smarter than a teabagger.

[Hugabear]

44. The slime trail left behind by a slug is 1000 times smarter than a teabagger

You'd be awfully hard pressed to find something that a teabagger is smarter than.

[JRLeft]

45. LMFAO!

[Posteritatis]

15. There's a metaphor in there somewhere, I'm just sure of it. (nt)

[Nye Bevan]

18. I expect the Mystery Machine to run out of gas right outside this mansion any day now.

Scooby Dooby Doo!

[JRLeft]

24. LMFAO!

[freshwest]

25. The yard doesn't look *that* bad from the picture, unless I'm looking at it.

But I don't think it'd be right to send Scooby up against a pack of coyotes and a monitor lizard. Oh, no, not good at all...

[JHB]

62. If the Scooby Gang shows up, it'll turn out that the coyotes are just...

...a land developer after neighboring properties, his henchman, and his lawyer. And they'd have gotten away with it too, if not for those meddling kids.

The lizard is the real Clearwater Creeper, pursuing his arch-nemesis, the Rat-Monster of Gruesome Gulch.

[coalition_unwilling]

65. Bingo! I think you just fingered the real rats in the scenario - n/t

[freshwest]

74. The two-legged, furless ones!

[freshwest]

73. Ah, ha! Great minds think alike. I suspect the same thing is what's going on here.

Love the character names, there...

[Coyotl]

22. I'm on my way over there

[longship]

28. You ought to see what they've done to the Manistee Nat'l Forest!

They're howling late nights all the time here. We don't have cablevision here. But we do have coyote-vision, deer-vision, wild turkey vision, raptor-vision (mostly red tail hawks, but eagles, too), raccoon-vision, porcupine-vision, black bear vision, wild boar vision, cougar vision, bobcat vision, and (of course) possum vision.

Nature is awesome here. Summers with herons and egrets are cool, too.

[Comrade_McKenzie]

29. Better coyotes than vultures. nt

[Lone_Star_Dem]

31. The coyotes will help with the rat problem.

Coyotes are pretty timid. Usually just clapping your hands and saying shoo is enough.

[amborin]

51. yes, but the coyotes get poisoned, often

[HooptieWagon]

33. You can claim this a public nuisance.

Take pictures of the house, property, and critters(if possible).
Document your calls to animal control and code enforcement - date you called, and name of person you talked to.
Bring photos and documentation to city council meeting. Insist the city take action about an ongoing nuisance. Your testimony will be entered into the record.
If still nothing is done, hire an attorney and file suit against the city. Damages are decreased property values, also possibly reckless endangerment and failure to uphold city codes.

[CoffeeCat]

37. Tell them not to worry...

...most likely the Romney's have purchased another mansion to convalesce in after Mitt loses.

I'm sure the Romney's look a bit disheveled due to the harsh effect of non-stop lies and flip-flops, but basically they are harmless--especially when they are out of power.

[flvegan]

38. Maybe the dingo ate your baby.

Oh the inconvenienced rich.

[Zambero]

39. Sounds like a balanced ecosystem to me

With rats as a prey base, the coyotes and scary 5' lizard would certainly be doing their part to keep the rodent population under control. With no predation going on, the neighbors would experience a vermin population explosion and would likely want to import a few more coyotes to finish them off.

[tama]

40. And there is a nice garden in the making

If that was a civilized place like Detroit, there would be no complaints about abandoned plot next to yours, but planting fruit trees and what not...

[.99center]

46. What a bunch of hack reporting that was

The news crew went right up to the house but didn't bother to look inside the windows, then they film a shack that has a huge opening in it and claim that coyote pups reside in it, but still they still don't bother to film anything but the outside of the shack. I had to shut it off when they filmed the gecko tail sticking out of a hole right next to a 2x4 and claimed " it might of been the tail of that giant lizard" Yeah, that gecko that has a 4 inch tail must be a giant!

[niyad]

52. hmm, I wonder if the scientologists own that, as they seem to do so much of clearwater.

[rad51]

53. Probably just an illegal gambling' den...

[Fla_Democrat]

54. Don't the "5 foot lizard" and coyotes

eat the rats? What's the problem?

[LWolf]

56. Nature reclaims.

There's nothing wrong with that.

[Sunlei]

57. been in the swamps more south, now that is acres over grown and people live there

here's a map of Ridgewood streets (3 shortish streets) the over grown lots are small

http://maps.google.com/maps?rls=com.microsoft:en-us&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1&rlz=&q=Ridgewood+Street,+clearwater,+florida&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x88c2f1ad5fe9c177:0xe2e5929d5667619,Ridgewood+St,+Clearwater,+FL&gl=us&sa=X&ei=eYGOUKH7N4GHqQGi_YDwCA&ved=0CCAQ8gEwAA

[JHB]

66. The actual place is about 3 blocks from your mapping point:

https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=1566+Ridgewood+Street,+Clearwater,+Florida&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x88c2f1ac935e2277:0x89caa4636dfcfe74,1566+Ridgewood+St,+Clearwater,+FL+33755&gl=us&ei=7qWOUOyjO6a50AHnzoDoBw&sqi=2&ved=0CB0Q8gEwAA

[OneGrassRoot]

58. "vacant mansion"....so many vacant dwellings/buildings all over the country...

Rather than build new construction of any sort, thus impeding on fragile ecosystems, why aren't all these vacant and abandoned buildings -- especially "mansions" -- being put to good use to shelter citizens who have no shelter and/or convert other vacant strip mall buildings for other purposes for the Common Good?

I know, I know, it's not that easy and it's complicated, but it's also simply WRONG.

The perfect example of the extreme wealth disparity in this country. Millions homeless, while millions of structures are simply abandoned and not legally able to be put to good use.

Ugh.

[JRLeft]

59. Because, that isn't taking personal responsibilty. Living on the streets just proves how

lazy homeless people are.

[LiberalEsto]

68. Next: Republicans invade vacant mansion; terrify coyotes, rats

CLEARWATER, FL -- Giant lizards, rats, coyotes and other creatures fled in terror as the boarded-up mansion they were inhabiting was taken over by feral Republicans.

Fearful neighbors packed up belongings and departed, saying the Republicans were coming our in broad daylight, invading their homes and raiding their wallets for cash and ATM cards.

"Rabies is one concern," said a resident backing his car down his driveway. "But the thing that scares us most is that they're coming after our Social Security checks and Medicare."

It was reported that Florida's governor was considering having the neighborhood declared a federal disaster area.

[slackmaster]

70. You know, it's not really very hard to handle a coyote problem.

[NCTraveler]

75. There are no mansions on Ridgewood Street. nt.

[cliffordu]

79. IF they really have a pack of coyotes living in that dump,

NONE of them other critters would be seen. They'd all be coyote poop.

I've lived amongst coyotes. They are very hungry and very efficient.

[Bucky]

80. This is a result of the housing crisis from a few years ago

That's right, dammit, I'm blaming Bush!!

[joeybee12]

82. Would a coyote eat a rat?

If so, I bet the rat problem isn't as bad as they're saying.