Recently I’ve been reading a lot of news stories demonizing Coyotes coming into suburban environments. It wasn’t that long ago that two coyotes were killed here in San Francisco and I thought I would post a photo of a typical Coyote encounter.
This Coyote like most others was very shy and was waiting to come down from the hillside early one morning only when it saw no one else around. Very skiddish it was only interested in hunting small rodents and birds in a near by meadow. As soon as I became visible this Coyote was quick to run off back into the safety of the dense foliage in the near by hills.
The problem I have with the demonization of Coyotes or other predators by the press is that they portray human-animal interaction in a very one-dimensional fashion. Seldom is there any note of how humans impact and condition animals to become acclimatized to us. The build up of our trash, people feeding wild animals, etc. all contribute to these animals losing their innate fear of us. Unlike Raccoons, Skunks, Possums or other common urban wildlife that we often ignore, if not accept as denizens of our neighborhoods, Coyotes like many other larger predators, get the short end of the stick and pay the price of such acclimatization to humans with their lives. There aren’t too many advocates for these animals, but one day I hope to see that we hold people accountable on some level for their part in these common and increasing human-animal conflicts.
In the case of Coyotes they get a double whammy when it comes to conflict with humans. The lack of predators in our neighborhoods results in a booming population of prey that initially draw Coyotes into our neighborhoods. When not hunting natural prey they become acclimatized to foraging in our trash or hunting small pets. it’s a tough balance for Coyote and humans, but sometime in the future I hope better civic and state policies are identified and put in place to minimize the killing of these predators and increasing public respect for local wildlife.
[tags]coyote, urban, wildlife, photograph, photo, stock photo, Canis latrans[/tags]
I’ve always found coyotes to be peaceful animals. If you mind your business then they will mind theirs.
Looks like you were lucky to get a good shot of him before he scooted off. Cheers,
@Richard That’s what I’ve found. I do think that the majority of people are uneducated when it comes to wildlife and the medias lust for sensationalism doesn’t do much to help when there is encroachment.
@Gary Thanks for the comment.
In the most recent case I read about, the coyote had a baby’s head in its jaws, but even in that article the reporter mentioned things like cat food being left outside helps draw in wild animals, and also that suburban sprawl is the main reason encounters are going up. Anyway, even in this case where the coyote really was a demon, the story didn’t pander to the demonization angle. At least some reporters are learning.
WOW! Just found this blog…wonderful read and exceptional visual!
Since a coyote came into our yard and killed and ate our pet Jack Russell Terrier, a 13-year family member, I’m sure you will excuse me for taking exception to the views posted here.
Coyotes are like rats and should be exterminated whenever possible. They are officially considered a nuisance by most states and it is open hunting season on coyotes 365 days per year for good reason.
The press isn’t “demonizing” coyotes. The press coverage is helping to make us all aware that coyotes numbers have swelled out of control and they are now preying on urban and suburban pets.
Note that since wolves were re-introduced to Yellowstone, coyote over-population is no longer a problem. So is coyote killing by human re-introduction of wolves acceptable but coyote killing by guns unacceptable?
@John good to hear that article had a more balanced approach.
@Lisa Glad you found the blog 🙂 I look forward to more of your comments and participation in the conversations.
@Kevin First my condolences on the loss of your beloved pet. I have 3 dogs, 2 of which are Jack Russell Terriers. The thought of losing a pet is hard to imagine and to lose one in such a manner would be devastating so I can’t fault you for your opinion.
None the less I do have a different opinion, one that has been formed with out such a tragic event slanting my view. As I’ve discussed on my blog previously I look at this issue from an education and animal management perspective. Coyotes like other predatory animals are not going to disappear and will continue to cross over into our communities especially as our cities continue to grow. It is in the best interest of our communities to recognize that we do not live in a bubble. Just because housing developments expand it’s unrealistic to expect that suddenly animals will stay out. The majority of people have little knowledge about wildlife in their areas and how to coexist with them. People shooting or killing large predators at will does not make our communities better or safer. These animals keep other animal populations in check.
As our communities grow we infringe and squeeze the territories of wild animals. With growth comes an increased responsibility to attempt to find a balance between animals and humans. It would be a shame to not take the next step in animal management and education. As I see it all animal life should be respected.
Growing up in Southern California especially during droughts Coyotes would often come into neighborhoods eating cats and small dogs. I agree the press can do a service to us all in providing warnings and educating their readers/listeners. From my experience more times than not they’ll over sensationalize the situation creating more of a frenzy than help coordinate a more level headed approach for communities to manage the situation. Just for the record while growing up we had to be quite diligent in keeping our pets in doors at night and supervising them, often keeping our dogs on leash, when letting them out in the morning.
Anyhow Coyotes are but one example and my thought on this relate to a variety of other animal species. Many other animal species now have extremely limited space or migratory paths that are blocked. The previous shoot to kill and think later strategy has eradicated or nearly eradicated other predator populations. My hope is that something will change in the future to help existing animal populations that are impacted a chance to rebound while giving neighboring communities the sense of safety that they need.
Thanks for the comment. I appreciate receiving the contrasting perspective.
When an animal attacks a person or hangs around human development it is cause for outrage. But when people hunt animals for fun, it is considered sport. That is hypocrisy at its finest. Animals are defenseless as a species against man.
I also feel for those that have had their pets attacked, and can understand the emotional response. But I simply cannot agree with the stand that these animals need to have targets on their backs because they are in conflict with our way of life. “Overpopulation” is often so easily touted as a reason for action with very little actual data behind it. Overpopulation meaning what – that 200 acres of woodlands were just leveled for a new mini-castle subdivision? Seems the overpopulation is on the other end. Do people think that these developments uproot only trees?
Just the other day I heard a coworker talking on the phone to the parks & rec about a supposed coyote attack on a larger dog. The coworker was pressing for some “action” to happen because of fear for his own dogs. The parks and rec basically had the position that unless a human attack happens, they wouldn’t do anything.
A thoughtful post about coyotes. We have urban foxes in England, who are frequently adventurous – I met one a while ago as I was coming out of my local pub early in the morning! They mainly look for litter bins with food thrown out in the trash, but there’s no doubt they will have a go at local cats – though cats often win (if they can get their claws into the fox’s nose, it will usually give up).
I feel rather privileged to see these wild creatures so close to us. In fact cities have become wildlife preserves as the industrialisation of agriculture forces animals to migrate from their natural habitats. (City bees make better honey than country bees now, as they get more variety in city gardens than in monoculture fields.)
But my two cats stay in at night, that’s for sure – much to their disgust!