A coyote indifferent to being shot by a paint ball was shot and killed by Cape Cod National Seashore rangers after acting aggressively around people and killing a puppy that was let off leash.

Coyotes had been congregating at the seashore's Herring Cove Beach since March, looking for dog food and fish heads that visitors had left for them. Recently the wild animals have become emboldened in their search for food. Last Saturday a woman was bitten by a coyote, and on Memorial Day one of the animals killed a puppy, prompting the rangers to destroy it. 

“No one wants to have their day at the national seashore end in this manner, and our rangers take no pleasure in killing a wild animal," Cape Cod Superintendent Brian Carlstrom said in the aftermath of the shooting Monday. "Unfortunately, scenes like this play out frequently in national parks. People don’t understand the implications of approaching or feeding wildlife, often leading to tragic consequences for the public and the animals.”

Recently, the National Park Service stepped up signage, social media messaging, and patrols to warn the public about coyotes, and Provincetown officials also provided warnings that people should keep their distance from the wild animals. In recent days rangers had tried to haze coyotes away from the beach, in part by shooting them with paint balls; an approach intended to both instill a fear of humans in the animals and also for identification purposes.

The coyote killed Monday was identified through paintball markings made during efforts in recent days to scare the animal away. 

In a release Tuesday seashore officials reminded the public that it is illegal to feed, disturb, or harass wildlife in national parks. Animals that are fed often lose their fear of people, becoming unpredictable and aggressive in attempts to gain food. This can lead to serious injury to people and destruction of the wild animal. In addition, feeding draws more animals in, resulting in unnaturally high populations, competition for human-provided food, and aggressive behavior.

There is enough natural food to support wildlife in the national seashore; feeding is unnecessary and harmful, the release added.

In addition to issues with coyotes at Herring Cove, there are ongoing issues with feeding songbirds and geese at Beech Forest, and a visitor was recently cited for feeding a fox at Province Lands Visitor Center. 

The public is reminded to remain distant from wild animals; to keep children close and pets leashed; and to not feed or leave food out for wildlife. Rangers will continue to cite offenders.