Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-03-18
THE MAD COYOTE PEST
By Frederic ]. Haskin

.T\HAT wolves should have become
a serious menace to human life
in four of our western States, in
addition to destroying millions of dol
lars worth of livestock, seems almost
incredible to anyone familiar with
conditions in the West. Yet that is
the situation which people are facing
in Nevada, Oregon and Southern
California.
The coyotes, or prairie wolves,
which have always abounded through
out the West, have been attacked by
the rabies, and the disease is sweep
ing southwark at an alarming rate.
Ordinarily a skulking, cunning brute
that kills lambs and chickens, but is
no more dangerous to man than a
rabbit, the coyote has become q verit-
able lighting hend, afraid of nothing
ana biting with poisoned fangs.
1t IS comparatively seldom, even
now. that a coyote attacks q man di-
rectly; but the rabid animals are in
vading ranches and towns, where they
bite the dogs, and these in turn go
mad, constituting an ever-increasing
menace to human life. Twenty-four
persons were recently reported under
going the Pasteur treatment in Reno,
ana more than q hundred have taken
IL IN oregon, where the disease origi-
mated. There have been some cases,
TOO, where the treatment came too
late.
In some sections. the COYOTES have
ialrly terrorized the people. In one
county of California. children are go
ing TO school under armed guard: and
all dogs are being either shot or muZ-
zled. y mad coyote invaded the town
OF Westport and engaged in a fight
WIN number of dogs. 1t finally beat
them Off and escaped. Within a week
several of the dogs were mad, and q
nuzZnng ordinance was rushed
through the town council.
In Modoc county, California, q
coyote invaded a ranch, whipped sew
efal dogs, and entered a cabin where
TWO range riders We're sleeping. The
men quickly awakened and opened
iire on the wolf from their hunks
with boots, bottles and anything else
they could lay their hands on. The
coyote was knocked on the head be-
fore he had bitten either of them.
The seriousness of the menace is
indicated by the fact that on Febru-
ary second, the United States Public
Health Service held a meeting in Salt
Lake City. of State and municipal
health officers. forest service men.
and all others who might be of use
to discuss ways of meeting the situa-
tlon. TWO Federal surgeons were an
pointed to stay in Salt Lake CITY and
dlrect the treatment of persons who
had been bitten. and also TO draft To-
cal ordinances to prevent the further
spread of the disease among dogs.
in addition to this, the Federal service
Will supply local boards of health with
the virus used in the Pasteur treat
ment.
This source of rabies promises IN
De epochal in more ways than one
The Public Health Service is making
IT the occasion to emphasize and
bring home to the people the neces-
sity Tor proper muzzling ordinances.
Ihese would absolutely prevent the
spread of rabies. They say that the
present western scourge. which is
threatening human life and causing
an economic loss of millions. was nm
doubtedly started by some doc
brought to Oregon from the East
Previous to 1908. rabies had never,
appeared west of the Rockies and
seldom west of the Mississipni Ire
appearance in eastern cities had been
sporadic, and IL was usually slammed
out pretty quickly. Nevertheless II
mas long caused the death of about
one hundred persons annually in The
United States. Al '"e
In 1908 few cases of rabins v.e,.o
reported in the far West. and i'm 1910