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Who knows what lurks in the night?

It was one of those foggy spooky nights when visibility was nonexistent. The headlights on the car would briefly shine on roadside objects in passing. Although the road was a familiar one, I couldn’t have said exactly where I was until I recognized the long pasture fence on the right.

olivia6-25 Page 4A.inddThe fence is just past Roanoke Baptist Church and keeps a herd of Black Angus cattle inside a large pasture. On occasion, a herd of sheep can also be seen there.

In daylight it always offers a view of interest. At least to me. In spring, the grass in the pasture is thick and a distinct emerald green. If the herd of sheep is there, lots of spring lambs will be on display with their mothers.

If cattle are there, cows with their calves will be enjoying the springtime sun.

It’s a working farm and has been for more years than I’ve been alive.

Other occupants of the pasture are several donkeys and a large emu. Emus are among the eeriest-looking birds on the planet, with their huge yellow alien eyes and disconcerting way of looking at humans.

On this particular evening, I was driving very slowly when passing this stretch of road when the headlights picked out an animal on the outside of the pasture, very close to the fence and moving rapidly.

At first I thought it was a dog, but when it turned its head to glance my way, I realized that although there was some resemblance to a dog in its general appearance, it was actually a coyote.

And it was a coyote on a mission, looking for a way into the pasture.

The foggy night made the scene even more sinister.

But then I remembered the donkeys and the emu and felt a little reassured. I did wonder if the coyote was alone or if he was hunting with a pack.

Years ago, I saw what havoc a pack of wild dogs wrought on a herd of unprotected cattle, and it was a sight I never want to see again. Dogs are pack animals, and when abandoned by humans will join together and hunt and kill together. An understandable action on the part of the dogs, but an unfortunate fate for the victims.

Nowadays most folks raising stock have ensured protection for their herds by also keeping donkeys, emus and/or Great Pyrenees dogs.

Coyotes are successful predators but are no match for an angry donkey or a vigilant Great Pyrenees. The Great Pyrenees have been used to protect herds for centuries and are never off duty.

If you’ve ever seen a donkey kill a snake, you’ll understand why coyotes should be wary of them. Though small, they are quick and their little hooves are more effective than a sledgehammer.

We never worried about either coyotes or wild boar in the past. And we had no reason to. But the brilliant forethought of fox hunters and boar hunters introduced both these species to the region, with disastrous results.

When the fox population declined, some fox hunters in their infinite wisdom brought in coyotes as a replacement — just as game hunters imported wild Russian boars to offer more sport.

Unfortunately for the rest of us, coyotes have become so prolific now that they’re more than just a nuisance.

And wild Russian boars have crossed with domestic hogs and wreaked havoc upon gardens, crops, and even front yards in neighborhoods, destroying millions of dollars’ worth of property.

It’s all part and parcel of the same thought process that brought in kudzu for erosion control. Well, how’s that working out?

So, before we bring in anything else that isn’t native to our region, maybe some thought should be given to what effect it would have on everything else that’s already here. Just saying.