Something Is Stalking the South End
Between January 30 and February 6, residents filed 16 coyote sightings in Boston's South End, all within a five-block radius. Something is living in one of the city's densest neighborhoods, and for once, it's not a rat.
Where They Were Spotted
Every pin below is a confirmed coyote report from the same week-long stretch, all between Tremont Street and Columbus Avenue. One was spotted trotting through an alley off Claremont Street. Another was seen sitting calmly in the snow at Worcester Street Community Garden, unbothered. On February 6 alone, four separate sightings were reported in a single day.
These aren't isolated incidents. This is a pattern: the same animal or animals, working the same blocks, night after night.
Why Now?
February is mating season. Coyotes that normally stick to parks and rail corridors start expanding their territory, traveling during daylight hours, and generally getting bolder. That's why your neighbor's Ring camera suddenly has coyote footage and your local Facebook group is losing its mind.
The MSPCA says the population isn't actually growing. You're just seeing them more. Coyotes have lived in Boston for years. But when they start breeding, they move, and when they move, people notice.
Both Boston.com and NBC Boston covered the spike this month. MassWildlife's February bulletin confirms this is peak season for sightings statewide.
What To Do
Coyote attacks on humans are extremely rare, with fewer than 10 confirmed incidents in 60 years across all of Massachusetts. But they will go after small pets, especially at dawn and dusk.
The standard advice from MassWildlife:
- Keep pets inside at dawn and dusk
- Remove food sources like pet food, birdseed, or unsecured trash
- "Haze" them by yelling, clapping, or making yourself big. They should run. If they don't, call animal control.
- Never feed coyotes. A fed coyote is a dead coyote.
See For Yourself
We're tracking every coyote sighting in real time on the live map. Keep an eye on that South End pocket. Something tells us the story isn't over yet.