Resources
Hi Everyone –
The purpose of this Resource Page is to supply easily accessible and downloadable information to educate the public on how easy it is to coexist with wildlife in urban areas. I worked hard on these flyers and want to make them available to anyone. Coexistence works in Denver, Seattle, Vancouver, Chicago, New York, San Francisco and other places. A coexistence policy can work in your community, too. There are scientific papers which support this point of view.
For instance, when coyotes are trapped and killed, it opens a niche for more coyotes to move into the same habitat. And, right after the killings, when there are fewer coyotes occupying that local habitat, females find more food and produce larger litters. The result—more coyotes in the area and the killing cycle never ends. A stable coyote population, by contrast, naturally keeps its numbers in check. As coyotes become “wise” — adapted to the habitat they occupy— they, too, learn the ropes of sharing an environment. With both humans and coyotes living within this balance, we get a win-win situation for everyone.
In many communities inhumane practices are being employed to eliminate coyotes. All trapped coyotes must be killed according to most state laws. Pelts are often sold and end up lining coats in China or Russia. In some places, an exception to the law allows for live coyotes to be sold to baiting organizations, which let dogs chase and kill the coyote for entertainment or to fox hunters who let the hunting dogs in training chase and kill coyotes. Let’s stop this cruel treatment now.
A simple coexistence management plan, which features public awareness and education programs, has been shown to be more effective than killing. An effective plan includes modifying both human and coyote behavior. This information may be downloaded as flyers and distributed.
*THE MOST BASIC INFORMATION: PLEASE SEE THESE IF NOTHING ELSE:
- Coyotes As Neighbors: What to Know and Do (30 min VIDEO)
- How to Handle Coyote Encounters (was “How To Shoo Off A Coyote”)
- Inside a Coyote Family (about coyote family life)
TWO VIDEO PRESENTATIONS ABOUT URBAN COYOTE BEHAVIOR AND GUIDELINES:
The shorter video below has been extracted from the first for a shorter presentation — it excludes many behavior slides and the section on killing coyotes contained in the longer version:
INFORMATIVE FLYERS FOR DISTRIBUTION IN URBAN AREAS:
- Simple Guidelines for Coexistence
- How to Handle Coyote Encounters (was “How To Shoo Off A Coyote”)
- Coyote Behavior and Peaceful Coexistence with Dogs
- Truth About Coyote Conflicts
- Coyote Facts and Fiction
INFORMATION FOR COYOTES ON FARMS, RANCHES AND RURAL AREAS:
Coyote Yipps 
Jun 09, 2013 @ 18:14:57
Please help me there is an injured coyote coming up from my woods how can I get it to take food?
Jun 09, 2013 @ 19:31:08
Hi Regina —
If you have a wildlife rehabilitation center close to you, you should call them to evaluate the animal. If you are in a rural area without such a facility and want to help the animal, just put out food and water close to where you saw it and leave. You could observe from a distance with binoculars. We recommend never feeding urban coyotes, but indeed, an injured animal should be helped. Could you let me know what part of the country you live in and if there are other people around? Janet
Nov 21, 2013 @ 11:03:29
Hi Janet,
You have a really nice blog with some wonderful photos. Thank you for dedicating so much time and energy to sharing information about urban wildlife. I am doing some research on urban biodiversity for a class at UC Berkeley, and I was curious if there is a way I can contact you more directly to find out your thoughts on some of the developments within the city to restore natural areas, etc…
Please let me know when you get a chance.
Thanks so much
-dylan
Feb 14, 2014 @ 02:34:30
What is your opinion of “Coyote Hazing” in neighborhoods where they are killing and eating cats and dogs? Like ours in San Diego.
Feb 14, 2014 @ 04:22:48
Hi Pierce —
Thanks for contacting me. First and foremost, everyone in our crowded world — where all species have the right to survive, and where humans, supposedly are the more intelligent — should follow the guidelines that we all know about: 1) Don’t allow pets to free-roam, 2) Leash your pets when out of doors, 3) Don’t attract coyotes to your yard with food, and 4) Never feed a coyote, even inadvertantly by making your garbage available for them! Please watch the video “Coyotes As Neighbors” at the top of the Yipps Blog page.
“Coyote Hazing” simply means “Scaring Coyotes.” You don’t go around scaring and harassing the wildlife every time you see them simply because you don’t like them — they are not going to learn a thing from that, except eventually to ignore you.
But it’s very important to shoo off a coyote if it approaches you or your pet, and from your yard if you don’t want coyotes visiting. This has meaning for them and they will learn. There are ways of doing this. It’s important not to leave any attractants out, and this includes keeping small pets indoors.
This is my opinion. Janet
Jun 15, 2014 @ 16:51:39
I live in a mobile home park in Santa Cruz, one with a riparian corridor on two sides of it. I’ve seen individual coyotes and they always turn and walk away from me. But just after dark last night, as I was walking around my park, three coyotes were suddenly loping along beside me, watching me. I do not have a dog, so why would they behave this way with only a human? I was able to scare them away (by looking bigger, shouting, and running towards them), but I still wonder why they did this. Perhaps curious adolescents?
Jun 15, 2014 @ 18:32:54
Hi Susan —
Thanks for writing! As you suggested in your comment, these are probably teenager siblings (born last year) who were just enjoying loping along. I’ve been told by a number of runners that they’ve been accompanied — not “followed”, but kind-of “joined” — by young coyotes, on a regular basis, as they ran their usual several miles, and this appeared to be done for the sheer joy of it!
A negative possibility is that if someone has been feeding these coyotes, they, being creatures of habit, might have been hoping for a handout. Coyotes should never be fed by humans. You did the right thing by scaring them off when you became uncomfortable. If a coyote purposely and directly approaches you within about 30-50 feet, be really harsh in scaring it away. If they’re loping along at a safe distance and you are okay with this, enjoy the company!
Hope this helps! Janet
Jun 15, 2014 @ 18:54:46
Thanks so much for your reply, Janet. These three were nearly close enough to touch, which was quite startling. And all were looking me in the eye — kind of unnerving! I wonder if they smelled my two cats on my clothing….
Jun 16, 2014 @ 01:34:01
Close enough to touch? One foot away? And looking you in the eye? You need to keep them at a further distance. Keep scaring them off — they’ll learn to keep away. I don’t know if they were attracted by possible cat odors — obviously you don’t look like a cat. Hmmm. Here’s an interesting idea: I wonder if they think you might have been “rolling” on a dead cat to absorb it’s odor, and that you might lead them to it? Just a far-fetched idea — food for thought! Janet
Jun 15, 2014 @ 19:02:05
By the way, this is a FANTASTIC website – thanks so much!
Jun 16, 2014 @ 02:15:34
They were about 4-5 feet away from me – which seemed WAY too close last night. But they sure seemed surprised when I went into my “act”.
Jul 22, 2014 @ 02:16:13
Hi Janet —
Today I had an encounter with a coyote that unsettled me. I was walking my two dogs, one very large (~90lbs) German Shepherd, and one medium-sized Beagle/Cattle Dog mix (~40lbs) on a wooded path. I never see other people walk here, so I let them go unleashed. About five minutes in, we came across a coyote who barked, howled, and followed us. My dogs immediately started chasing the coyote, and when I called them back to me, the coyote followed. Since I thought the coyote was heading in the opposite direction, I continued further into the woods, but it continued to follow us. Though my dogs have good recall, they seemed unable to resist the urge to chase the coyote (particularly since the coyote was acting surprisingly playful) and the cycle of chase-return-follow happened several more times. My German Shepherd in particular was enjoying himself; normally he is very wary and protective and often takes offense to other dogs at first sight. It honestly surprised me that he didn’t attack. Though we didn’t appear to be in any danger, the fact that the coyote was so doggedly following us (it even went as far as the asphalt path next to the road as we exited) made me nervous, and I booked it out of there was fast as I could.
I’m having trouble understanding if the coyote’s behavior was as playful as it seemed to be, or if it was (as you’ve mentioned in this blog) meant to “escort” us out of its territory. Is it safe for us to go back? I’ve walked them there many times without any incident, albeit during the mid-afternoon (today we got there around 6pm, later than usual).
I’ve uploaded two videos:
Jul 22, 2014 @ 19:15:45
Hi Samira —
Thanks for writing about your encounter. The videos you sent are excellent in that they depict exactly what can go on when you encounter a coyote with dogs. What you encountered was normal coyote behavior. Dogs and coyotes don’t like each other — it’s important to keep them apart. It’s a good idea to keep your dogs leashed once you see a coyote — please don’t allow your dogs to chase them. If it followed you to the edge of the forest, it was assuring itself that you were indeed leaving the area. It could have been a youngster coyote who was curious about your dogs, but more likely, the coyote could have been trying to divert you away from youngsters in the area by making you focus on it.
If you don’t want to walk elsewhere, when you do walk through this forest, please make sure to leash and keep walking until you are out of the area. With your dogs leashed and next to you, the coyote is unlikely to approach. You have a large dog and a medium size dog — still bigger than coyotes who weigh 20-40 pounds — on the East Coast they are slightly larger. Also, you have two dogs which constitute a “pack”. It is the coyote which is endangered by this situation, not your dogs. Also, you should be armed with knowledge of how to shoo off a coyote if it gets too close to you: you can see how to do this by watching the video at the top of the coyoteyipps home page. Please let me know if you have any more questions. Also, may I post your videos on the blog? — the more people who see this as a potentiality, the better they can be prepared to deal with it. Thank you! Janet
Jul 23, 2014 @ 19:36:11
Thank you for the response! I probably won’t return to this area of the woods anytime soon – we have a lot of other spots to choose from. And yes, you can use my videos. For reference, we are in Eastern MA, in a suburban neighborhood.
Jul 23, 2014 @ 00:47:36
Hi Samira,
Going just by the short videos the coyote doesn’t come off to me as wanting to play. I too have had encounters like yours, over several years with a coyote couple and their children. Janet has been kind enough to let me post pictures and video on her blog and my coyote encounters almost always involved dog, human (my dogs and me), and coyotes messaging their territorial concerns to us. So the way I interpret your coyote’s behavior is that he is herding your dogs out of the area. (Actually you were doing the herding by calling your dogs back.) It’s hard to know with any certainty, but there may be something in that particular area the coyote cares enough about to claim and it looks to me like me may be broadcasting his claim to your dogs.
Jul 30, 2014 @ 09:07:34
Hello Janet,
This is a follow-up to my June 15-16 messages. I’ve only seen one adult coyote since running into the three teenage coyotes. And my neighbors closer to the ravine – who normally see adult coyotes regularly – haven’t seen any. A few days later after my encounter, I saw 3-4 men in a back yard across the ravine practicing shooting a rifle. I called the Sheriff’s office and they sent two deputies to investigate….but the shooters were gone when they arrived. Since then, I’ve heard shots many nights, usually around 10-11:00 p.m. Of course, they could be firecrackers, but my strong suspicion is that someone in one of the houses across the ravine has been shooting coyotes. Those teenage coyotes were so fearless, they would have been easy targets. This makes me sick to my stomach, but what can I do about it? Go back to the Sheriff’s office and report my concerns, based on the absence of coyotes and night-time “shots?” What do you think?
Jul 30, 2014 @ 15:52:26
Hi Susan —
This is so heartbreaking. I, myself, would definitely go back to the Sheriff’s office and let them know about the shots and about the absence of the coyotes. Also, you might ask for their suggestions as to how to prevent it from happening again. Whoever shot them needs to know that the coyotes belong to everyone in the community and are not there for his/her shooting enjoyment. He also needs to be informed that, killing them causes MORE not fewer coyotes to be around since reproduction is then taken on by most females instead of just the alpha pair. If you think it would help to post a few signs advocating respect for the environment and wildlife — possibly stating that there is a fine for not doing so, let me know, and I can help you with them. You could ask the Sheriff’s office about protocol and procedures for protecting wildlife and how they could help. In addition, you could start collecting the names of concerned neighbors along with their email addresses — you’ll have greater power in numbers. Please let me know what you are able to do and please keep me updated. Janet
Jul 30, 2014 @ 16:31:36
Thanks for your response, Janet. What complicates this is that there are gangs in this area, so night-time shot noises are not that unusual. However, it’s the shots combined with the coyotes’ absence that’s concerning – and seeing that rifle. My neighbors closer to the ravine say they’ve heard no coyotes barking or howling in weeks. One of these neighbors is a retired cop – maybe I can get him to go with me to the sheriff’s office. One more thing: several houses on the other side of the ravine angle down into the ravine quite a bit, so the coyotes have extra easy access to those yards – and any small pets outside. And we know that folks who lose their pets are not kindly inclined toward coyotes. Anyway, I’ll keep you informed…
Thanks again,
Susan
Jul 30, 2014 @ 22:15:31
Hi Susan —
I would think that gangs using guns in the area might be double incentive for your Sheriff to get involved. He’d be killing two birds with one stone. Janet
PS: I’ve noticed that howling can become minimal for a period of time after the disappearance of family/pack members.
Jul 31, 2014 @ 22:50:14
Hi, Janet,
Well, today I’m feeling a bit foolish. Perhaps I jumped to conclusions. Last night, one of my neighbors said she heard coyotes howling to sirens just last week, on another side of the ravine. That was great news, of course, and I was happy to hear it!
And, besides, I haven’t gotten any support for my suspicions, which someone else called “pure speculation.” So I will let this issue rest for now, while listening and watching for our coyote friends…..
I apologize for writing here with no proof of anything, and causing worry about the coyotes. But thank you so much for your valuable insight and advice – they are very much appreciated.
Susan
Jul 31, 2014 @ 23:39:15
Hi Susan —
Glad to that someone heard howling on the other side of the ravine — and hope it was “them”. I’ve had coyotes disappear for a while, and when they do I have all kinds of suspicions about what could have happened — it’s really anguishing. I’m glad you are concerned about them — so few folks are! This could have gone either way. Anyway, please keep staying alert to them — a time may come when they need your help! Thank you for caring about them, and please let me know if any more concerns come up. I’m happy to help out! Janet
Aug 02, 2014 @ 00:09:00
Hi! I was wondering what your response was to this TV and online news report here from Burbank, CA, on coyote packs in neighborhoods. http://news.yahoo.com/video/running-wild-close-encounters-packs-230903576.html
Aug 02, 2014 @ 01:27:06
Hi Pierce —
I’m happy to respond to your comment.
Beware that TV and the news sells itself on sensationalism. The man and his dogs did NOT have to “run for their lives”: this is total hype. The reporter has no idea what she is talking about.
Please look at the video. Notice that the minute the human approaches, the coyotes flee. Coyotes are scared of humans and will keep away from them naturally — UNLESS YOU FEED THEM. Never feed coyotes. Coyotes are diurnal so seeing them out during the day is not unusual or abnormal — this does not mean they’re aggressive.
It is important to keep your pets away from coyotes: you can do so by not letting small pets roam free: a coyote cannot distinguish between your small pet and any other small animal it might see as prey. Larger dogs need to be leashed in coyote areas because of territorial issues with coyotes: during pupping season especially, which is still going on, coyotes may want to drive dogs out of their territories because the coyotes see dogs as threats to their pups and as competitors for the limited number of resources on any one territory.
You should know that cars and large dogs kill and injure many more pets than anything else. This should give everyone incentive to guard their pets and not allow them to roam free.
Please know that coyote “packs” are really family units of related coyotes: a mom and dad and pups from this years and maybe last year’s litter. They will disperse soon because the territory can only accommodate so many coyotes, the equivalent of about one per square kilometer.
Please take a look at the video at the top of the coyoteyipps home page for more information. Janet
Oct 27, 2014 @ 23:46:16
Juan carlos Hi, I live in bakersfield ca. for the last five month there’s been a coyote visiting my front yard, where my shepherd stays. the coyote always stays out of the yard only looking and pacing back and fourth, last night on 10/27/14 at around 4:30 am the coyote jumped the fence and four over 1 hour played with my dog. running around and playing with her toys, i was woken by the sound of running. it seemed more like friendly play then anything, my security cameras captured everything. just wondering what to do, if anything. thank you.
Oct 28, 2014 @ 05:17:56
Hi Juan Carlos — I contacted a professional wildlife behaviorist about your inquiry. This is what she says: “Sounds like simple play behavior — nothing more. I recommend that he do nothing at all — just make sure the dog doesn’t hurt the coyote. Enjoy it while it’s happening!” I will add that you should make sure no food is around — you don’t want to actually invite the coyote to be there, and my own instinct is not to encourage the friendship. However, if it is happening as you depict it, I don’t think any harm is being done. Dogs and coyotes usually don’t like each other, and play could turn to aggression, but there have been some respectful friendships between them.
Jan 20, 2015 @ 14:21:29
For the second time in a month I’ve had someone tell me that their dog was attacked by coyotes in their yard in an rural location. The first was the owner of a blue heeler and they had their son shoot and kill at least one coyote that I know of. Now I’ve been told by another person (about 5 miles away from the first) that their dogs, a chocolate lab and a border collie (larger dogs), have also been attacked by coyotes and that person is randomly shooting at night trying to kill coyotes which in inself scares me. Both people have an invisible fence. I asked if there were any puncture wounds on the dogs or actual signs of injuries and both people said no. I don’t know what to think. Part of me thinks it’s just guys wanting an excuse to kill something but part of me wants to protect my 40 pound dog which is fenced in with a four foot fence and easily jumped by a coyote. Any ideas on the subject? Thank you.
Jan 22, 2015 @ 03:39:20
Hi Babs —
I’ve received feedback about your issue: A dog will usually alert its owner by barking if a coyote were to approach its property. The individual advertising that their dogs, showing no bite wounds, have been attacked, is probably just using this as an excuse — a bad excuse — to kill coyotes. Nevertheless, good pet ownership means not leaving your dog out alone and unsupervised, and it means bringing him/her in at night.
Jun 12, 2016 @ 17:30:46
Can other females in a pack, that didn’t necessarily give birth to pups, begin lactating? To help with nursing maybe?
Jun 12, 2016 @ 21:11:55
Hi Jenohn — I would not think this is possible, the reason being that only the alpha pair, the mated pair, the parents, reproduce within any coyote family. The other females are what is called “behaviorally sterile”. Since lactation has to do with fertility, my thought is that this could not happen. BUT, I have sent your request to an Animal Behaviorist and Ecologist, a coyote specialist, who might be able to add certainty to what I say, or tell me I’m wrong. I’ll get back to you as soon as I hear from her. Janet
Jun 12, 2016 @ 23:52:54
Thanks! I thought the same thing but then I thought of how close the family packs are and maybe it was some hormonal thing. She was a younger female and I wasn’t able to find any other pups other than the alpha pairs’. Also kind of interesting, she was much more nervous and protective of the area than the alpha pairs who I’ve been around for 3 years now. Thanks for your help.
Jun 13, 2016 @ 23:26:11
Hi Jenohn — I received this reply to confirm the information I sent you earlier:
Hi Janet – It’s physiologically impossible. No – that would be bizarre. Lactation only occurs as a function of pregnancy and when those specific hormones are released into the body. If two related females are lactating (post partum) – one may allow the pups from the other female to suckle – but I have never heard of spontaneous lactation in any animal…There is non-maternal lactation and that is caused by serious underlying health problems I.e. Pituitary tumors (in humans). Females that give birth to still-born pups, or ones that die soon afterwards, can be stimulated to produce milk by “ foster” pups with suckling. But pregnancy must have happen. Other females or males may help rearing of pups when the birth mother dies, but this is mainly done through regurgitation. Hope that helps.
Sep 16, 2016 @ 05:34:23
Lovely site. Gosh, I love animals. All animals. But, have to admit, coyotes have tested my patience. Here in Michigan I live in a 40 acre apartment complex with woods and a very large pond containing much wildlife. For 14 years have been ‘friends’ with a pair of geese who were killed this spring by coyote. The tremendous fight Papa Goose put up was evident, a sight I will never forget. Mama Goose was nesting and was killed on her nest. I was able to rescue 3 of the eggs just before they hatched and take them to a wildlife rescue site; that night the coyote came back for the eggs which thankfully were gone. Both nights they left scat.
All geese have now left the pond, we used to have a number of nesting families. The numerous ducks have been taken, one by one. Heartbreaking. And, not something which can be fixed. There is no fence or protection; these are wild fowl that come and decide to stay. The muskrats are also gone, save a very few. The doe raise their fawns here; this year just one doe chanced it. She has lost one of her fawns. I’m sure it is to the coyote but I have no evidence. We don’t have bear or any other wild animal which would be such a threat. The squirrel population has decreased tremendously. The rabbits which I used to see hopping across the lawn? Gone, save one I saw this summer. It could be disease or a car or other accident, I realize, but to have so much wildlife disappear so quickly in one year is …. well, heartbreaking and does seem to point to the coyote. I do see coyote scat every now and then even if I haven’t seen a live coyote.
So. I am not a fan of coyote. Seeing their scat and having them kill so many of the ‘residents’ here in an area where nothing can be done just leaves me truly upset.
Sep 19, 2016 @ 17:43:06
Hi Leigh — Although some of these animals might have been taken by coyotes, some of them would have moved away to stay out of harms way. The coyotes themselves will move on when the easy prey is no longer present and then the animals will return.
Apr 19, 2017 @ 23:25:54
Thank you for your research and education. Much appreciated.
Aug 15, 2017 @ 21:41:39
Hi we just bought a lemon grove in Temecula and the farm management company told us that Coyotes chew through the irrigation PVC pipes to get water. But the management company is also charging us to control the gophers on the property. I’m an animal activist and don’t want any poison being used to kill gophers and I feel bad for the thirsty coyotes. It seems like this could be a win-win. Cant we just install waterers on our property for the coyotes and let the visiting coyotes deal with the gophers?
Aug 17, 2017 @ 18:23:38
Hi Melissa —
My reply to you doesn’t seem to have been posted, so I’m replying again: Yes! Please suggest your solutions to the management company as a “win-win” solution. Be forceful. Start collecting a list of like-minded people who can offer their support. And don’t give up! Keep advocating and pushing for what you know is right! Please keep me posted.
Jan 10, 2018 @ 21:40:30
I have a question about coyote behavior in my wooded suburban neighborhood. Before I go into detail, please contact me so I’ll know you’re getting my messages. Your site seems to have the best information out there, and I hope you can help me with this baffling situation.
Dec 17, 2018 @ 20:29:58
Hi there. I followed your page under a different email add (had to close as I was hacked). I asked a question about scat left close to our house that was never answered, but that turned out ok as the coyotes sort of answered my question, I think? I think they’re just letting us know they’re here-reminding us. We’ve lived here 2 years & they’ve never confronted us. When they leave scat near where our dog poops I leave the scat for 24 hrs (clean up dog poop within an hr or 2) just to let them know I heard their message. People around here often shoot and kill coyotes as nuisance animals. I was really worried that one of a pair that regularly hunts near or on our property (Prairie Dogs are their main prey from observing & enjoying from the window) had even shot. A few minutes ago I saw them both trot across our property and I can’t tell you the joy that I felt! I just wanted to share that with you. Also wanted to thank you for the information on your site. Unfortunately not many where I live are open to learning and the response I get is generally eye rolling. The best I can do for them is post No Hunting signs on our property at this time. Thanks again!
Dec 17, 2018 @ 23:29:05
Thank you, Ruth, for sharing this with me, and thank you for being a great advocate for them: your “No Hunting” signs on your property is a big help to them. We’re finding that hunting coyotes actually INCREASES predation on livestock, which is why it’s a bad idea to hunt them on ranches and farms. If you are interested in knowing the reasons, they are listed in this posting: Observations of Coyote Behavior On Ranches, by Walkaboutlou. I’m glad your two coyotes are still hanging in there and that they give you so much joy!! :)) Janet
May 06, 2019 @ 16:11:14
My name is Joe Pinzone and I’m a casting director. Currently I am working on a development TV project for a major network. We are looking to find people who live with, or near, or visit wild animals in order to understand how the animals live. The series will be filming all over the country and we are looking for those whose expertise lies with any wildlife.
This would be a great opportunity for the expert to explain to viewers what makes these animals tick and to dismiss any sort of stereotypes. Whether it is biologists, naturalists, guides or caretakers, we want people who love these animals, have experience in the wildlife field, and know how to communicate with them.
If this project is something that interests you or you have colleagues who may fit the criteria, I’m including a casting notice that can be shared/emailed to others or posted on Facebook/Twitter. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask or call me.
Jul 06, 2019 @ 16:50:31
I live in Southwest Washington. We enjoy golfing and our local golf course Mint Valley Golf has a setting with a lot of brushy wilderness. About a month ago we saw a coyote with 5-6 very young pups. In the meantime we have seen 2 pups who are obviously starving unafraid approaching golfers. The last time we were out a woman told me one of the pups was laying near death. I contacted Dept of Wildlife and they said “Let nature take its course.” I believe the mother abandoned 2 pups because she couldn’t care for them all. It rips me apart to see these babies suffering. Thank you.
Jul 07, 2019 @ 19:43:05
What a shame about those two pups. Breaks your heart to see that!
Here in Santa Cruz, CA, people are reporting pets – mostly cats – being taken by coyotes. Despite that this has been going on awhile, some folks still won’t keep their cats inside. And coyotes are only doing what coyotes do. They aren’t villains….
Feb 06, 2020 @ 18:17:47
Janet- I didnt know how to contact you other than this. I read this article out of Florida….appalling…coyote rescued then killed. Here is the link- https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/coyote-rescued-from-waters-near-portmiami/2186206/?fbclid=IwAR0nNA0MAxsdaJC1vcVnrQfr7htXAbYPcsCpShH___2PL_45OHriyE0os3k
Feb 06, 2020 @ 18:44:06
Hi Elizabeth —
Thank you so much for sending this. It’s often “officials” from established agencies who know the least about the animals yet have authority who make such senseless and heartbreaking decisions. You can help in the fight by being an ambassador for coyotes — you can affect people with information and with your point of view. Tell people that these are sentient and social creatures who have family lives, and that it’s easy to coexist by following very simple guidelines: when you see a coyote, especially if you have a dog, walk away and keep walking away from it. It hurts to read this article. :((
Feb 23, 2020 @ 00:24:49
Hello, We are doing a Coyote vocalization Project for our university project, we would like to incorporate your vocalizations into our project by breaking down the sounds into sonograms for tones, pitch, frequency etc. Would you kindly consider allowing us to use these sounds with proper citation, as well as citing your articles?
Feb 23, 2020 @ 05:26:01
Hi Angel —
Sounds very interesting. I can also give you the situational causes of each of those recordings, and the age, sex and family position of each individual coyote in them, if that would be of interest to you. Coyotes are mostly responding emotionally, with individual variations in tones (same as the difference in tones between human voices) and often signature patterns within their individual vocalizations. I’ll write you an email. Janet
Dec 23, 2020 @ 05:02:03
Hi Janet,
I was trying to find a good avenue to ask you a question about the recent coyote attacks. I have run an outdoor preschool in the north bay for the past 5 years and have had lots of coyote encounters but none that would concern me. I’m wondering if the animal experts looking into these attacks might be curious if covid could be a factor in terms of giving the coyote a high fever or otherwise altering its behavior. I ask because I understand how rare attacks are, and I have experienced handling a large dog with a high fever who was lashing out and biting and the vet said a high fever can induce hallucinations and cause them to bite unprovoked. It occurred to me that since high fever is a common symptom of covid maybe that could be one possible explanation? I’m wondering what your thoughts are. I love all wildlife and am just so curious what could have caused this change in behavior. Thanks!
Dec 23, 2020 @ 05:47:59
Hi Danielle — Yours seems like an interesting possibility. I’m not a biologist or veterinarian, so I can’t say much about this, but I will try floating the idea among some people I know who are in those fields. We haven’t been given much information about the case except that DNA shows it was the same coyote (3 times), and I don’t think COVID lasts over several weeks — but maybe it lasts longer in animals??
There definitely was a trigger of some sort. My thought is that the man who was bitten — or maybe someone else — interacted with the coyote in some way, either recently, or over a period of time in the past. The sad thing is that he, or anyone, would never admit to these things so we will never know.
I have seen a coyote have more “sass” than others, and coupled with other human interference, I’m wondering if this personality trait might have carried him/her too far?
There are about 17 bites a year from coyotes to humans in all of North America, almost all due to hand-feeding, breaking up a dog/coyote altercation, or to a small and active child.
We have pre-school groups in the same parks with the coyotes here in San Francisco. Also daycamps. The coyotes and children (always in groups) come regularly within 75 feet of each other. There has never been a problem. The children are asked to call out if they ever see a coyote and then to simply walk away from it and into the group of kids. None of the teachers has ever been concerned, and love teaching the kids about coyotes whenever they appear.
So, I’m sorry I’m not of much help with this, but I’m actually seeing a veterinarian tomorrow, and I’ll try to remember and ask her. If I find out anything, I’ll let you know. Janet
Nov 16, 2022 @ 18:18:09
Is anyone aware of work to understand the role of Point Reyes coyotes on the local ecosystem? I assume that prior to the establishment of the National Seashore, coyotes there were routinely killed. Now, I believe, they have some protection. Any idea how that has affected rodent, raptor, or weasel populations?
Nov 16, 2022 @ 19:02:17
Hi Sam — Sorry, I do not know of any coyote studies in the area. However, logically, since coyotes are part of the native environment, having them around would help balance the ecosystem. Because coyote territoriality limits the coyote population in any given area, I would think the new balance achieved would be a sustainable one. These are simply my thoughts. Janet
Dec 02, 2022 @ 08:38:34
Any interest on a video of 2 pups playing at night from this summer? They were located near the market Safeway I can provide exact location and more information if you email me. I was traveling in the fall and haven’t seen them recently. I hope they’re doing okay.
Dec 02, 2022 @ 19:54:07
Yes! I’ve sent you an email, Chris. Janet