New London — Mayor Michael Passero said Tuesday that the city would seek to obtain a special permit to trap and kill a coyote being seen frequently in the city’s south end if it behaves aggressively toward a human, but cautioned that a better solution may be for residents to change their behavior.

“To get a permit, we’d have to prove to DEEP that we have an aggressive animal,” said Passero, referring to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

Under state regulations, nuisance coyotes cannot be trapped and relocated, but must be killed, said Dennis Schain, DEEP spokesman.

Trapping and killing the animal would be difficult, Passero said, since the areas where it has been seen are densely populated. A licensed trapper would have to use a steel leg-hold trap and if the animal is captured, it would be shot by the trapper or city police.

“We’re talking about doing this in the middle of a residential neighborhood,” Passero said. “The best thing we can do is find the den.”

Passero’s comments came a day after a public meeting about the coyote sightings, during which many residents called on the city to get rid of the animal. They talked about being followed by the coyote while walking their dogs, seeing the animal in their yards and near their porches, showing no fear of humans. A Glenwood Avenue family said their Chihuahua was killed about two weeks ago by the coyote.

Passero emphasized that residents must heed warnings not to feed wild animals, must keep their pets on leashes at all times, secure garbage and not leave pet food outdoors.

Laura Simon, a wildlife ecologist and president of the Connecticut Wildlife Rehabilitators Association, said she believes residents should learn about “hazing” the coyote instead of calling for its destruction.

“You wave your arms and yell and shake a can with pennies at it to scare them off your property,” she said. “It is a very effective tool.”

Done repeatedly, she said, coyotes will get the message and move out of the area.

“Coyotes are smart,” she said, adding that “hazing” has been used successfully in many communities. A Bethany resident, Simon said she ran a hotline for the U.S. Humane Society for 20 years where she advised people dealing with nuisance wildlife.

According to the Humane Society, the best way to haze a coyote is:

• Yell and wave your arms while approaching the coyote

• Use noisemakers such as your voice, whistles, air horns, bells, soda cans filled with pennies, or pots and pans banged together.

• Throw sticks, small rocks, cans, tennis balls, rubber balls or other projectiles at the animal.

• Spray it with a hose, water guns or spray bottles with vinegar water, pepper spray or bear repellant.

• Never run away from a coyote.

Simon said the behavior described by New London residents is common for coyotes during breeding season, when they may follow pet dogs as a means of protecting their territory and their mate. She cautioned that if this coyote is killed, another will probably move in to take its place. A better way of handling their concerns, she said, is for people to follow the Humane Society’s advice about preventing coyote conflicts and keeping pets safe.

“We push people to try to live with them,” she said.

j.benson@theday.com