St. Louis residents share parks and neighborhoods with coyotes, foxes, and raccoons; the city coordinates with Missouri Department of Conservation on coexistence guidance and addresses sick or aggressive animals on a case basis.
St. Louis has growing coyote sightings in Forest Park, Tower Grove, and along the Mississippi corridor. The Missouri Department of Conservation holds primary regulatory authority over wildlife under MO Title 3, while city Animal Care and Control responds to immediate public-safety threats and to apparently sick, injured, or rabid animals. Residents are advised against feeding wildlife, told to secure trash and pet food, and asked to haze coyotes that lose fear of humans. Trapping and lethal removal generally require state permits and licensed nuisance-wildlife contractors.
Feeding wildlife may violate property maintenance and sanitation rules; unpermitted trapping or relocation violates MO conservation code; harassment of protected species can bring state penalties.
See how St. Louis's coyote management rules stack up against other locations.
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