25 sheep found dead near Chunox in Corozal District; coyotes believed to be the culprits

Published by BBNTEAM at January 19, 2022

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Posted: Wednesday, January 19, 2022. 1:24 pm CST.

By Rubén Morales Iglesias: Twenty-five sheep were found dead in Chunox in the Corozal District, according to Informa T Corozal.

Other sources told Breaking Belize News (BBN) that 14 other sheep were killed before that in San Victor also in the Corozal District and that there have been other attacks on sheep in farms near Georgeville and Central Farm in the Cayo District, and as far as Independence in the Stann Creek District.

Sources at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise (MAFSE) said that the matter is being investigated, though word is that coyotes might be the culprits. BBN understands that coyotes are now a problem for small animals in Belize.

To support that, BBN was sent a photograph of a dead coyote that was recently shot.

Coyotes are known to attack sheep, lambs, goats, calves, and smaller animals like rabbits, mice, snakes, squirrels, birds, chickens, domestic cats, small dogs. Though they also go for animal carcasses, insects, citrus fruit, and food scraps they find in the trash.

Coyotes usually go for their prey’s throat to subdue it and kill it. Then, they go for the internal organs such as the heart and liver. To do that they normally go through the abdomen which would explain the way the animals look in the photographs being circulated.

Farmanimalreport.com says that if not stopped, sheep losses can lead a sheep farm to ruin.

BBN understands MAFSE is looking to work with the Forestry Department to devise a plan to control the situation.

Methods of control that are used around the world with predators like the coyotes include electric fences, guard dogs, guard donkeys, night-time confinement, and trapping/shooting the coyotes.

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