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Sharing Our Cities with Coyotes

Good News and Bad News

~Contributed by Kathy Milacek

The Bad News (depending on who you talk to) is that coyotes are living, and thriving, in nearly every city across the U.S. – including the DFW Metroplex – yet the sight of a coyote in DFW takes some people by surprise, and makes others nervous.   The good news is that biologists who study coyotes say they pose no threat to people – as long as we behave in a way that allows coyotes to stay wild.  So, the good news is that there’s really not as much to worry about as some of the news stories would have us believe. 

Biologists studying coyotes say coyotes are now a fact of life in nearly all of urban America.  Many people feel that coyotes in cities have been pushed out of their rural habitat or would do better if relocated back to the country.  However, biologists studying coyotes have found that coyotes living in cities are at home, and that living in the city is right where they want to be. 

Coyotes are omnivores, meaning they eat plants and animals, like so many of our urban wildlife (skunks, opossums, raccoons); and they are opportunistic, meaning they prefer to find the easiest meal.  All urban wildlife species eat a variety of urban food – from mice, dog food and cat food left outside, rotting fruit under trees, overflowing bird seed on the ground, even food thrown out car windows into the ditch.  However, coyotes tend to make people nervous – because of their larger size.  Coyotes in the DFW Metroplex are actually smaller then many people think – averaging only around 30 pounds, only about 1 ½ feet tall at the shoulder. 

Wildlife biologists have found that there’s no reason for humans to feel threatened by coyotes in our cities.  Most coyotes avoid contact with people, and coyote parents teach pups to be very wary of humans.  The key (and this is very important) is not to undo that wariness in coyotes – they’ve learned to avoid contact with people and we need to keep it that way.

Most coyotes operate in our cities unobserved, primarily because they tend to be out only from midnight to dawn.  They only visit our yards when we’re asleep.  However, once in a while a coyote is observed during the daytime, which doesn’t necessarily mean the coyote is ill or aggressive, as long as its observed behavior appears normal. 

Most of the wildlife with which we share our cities is very adaptable – as is the coyote.  They are one of the most adaptable species on the planet. Because they eat a variety of foods which are abundant in our cities, and are opportunistic, they find more then enough food in our cities.   A few city residents feel uncomfortable sharing their cities with coyotes and would prefer they be trapped and removed to the country.  However, this idea poses some problems:

So, trapping and removal doesn’t provide a permanent solution – in fact, no matter what anyone does to try to remove coyotes from our cities, they’re here to stay!  But, the good news is that this shouldn’t cause for alarm. 

Coyote attacks on humans are very, very rare – as long as we allow them to stay wild.  Past history (in California) has shown that dangerous coyotes are those that humans have allowed to become habituated to people.  Habituation occurs when the public provides the following opportunities for the coyote:  unsecured trash cans, overflowing bird seed on the ground, outdoor pet bowls, and in some cases, even intentional feeding of coyotes, have been part of the problem. 

So, how can we share our cities with coyotes

while being good neighbors?    

Keep in mind the good and the bad – urban coyotes are here to stay, but we can learn to coexist with them.  Coyotes can make perfectly good neighbors as long as they don’t lose their natural fear of humans.  Coyotes are attracted to yards typically for food or water.  Follow these easy tips at your home, or invite your homeowners association to recommend them to all residents in your community.

 

Additional Information on Coyotes

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