Coyotes in the City?
The image of a coyote might bring to mind a scene where a senile old farmer in the rural Southwest is sitting on their rocking chair with an ancient shotgun, ready to go after coyotes that come for their animals. It’s an image that books and films have put into our heads and the understanding that many of us city-dwellers have of coyotes.
But, that isn’t always how it goes down. In fact, it turns out that farmers are not the only ones that have to worry about their animals getting pick up by coyote. You might have to be more careful than you knew right in your own backyard. If you live in Charlotte, that is.
Or Raleigh. Or Charleston. Or Washington, DC. Or Chicago. Or even New York (even — or especially, I should say — in Manhattan!), it turns out. In fact, research from Utah State University has found that coyotes live in 91% of US cities and they’re actually more likely to be present in larger cities.
We’re all familiar with the friendly neighborhood birds, the pesky squirrels that run around our trees and even the mischievous raccoons that steal our spatulas (yes, that happened to me). What many people don’t know — myself included — is that urban coyotes are almost as common as these other critters that we coexist with and can even protect some of them. They just prefer to stay in the background when humans are around.
Coyotes have been present in Western cities for longer than anywhere else in the country, while they are relative newcomers to the Northeast, where they have only been present since the 50s, according to that study by Utah State. Coyotes in the Northeast are sometimes known as Coywolves, because of the mixture in their genome between wolves and the more typical coyotes of the Southwest, though they are mostly coyote.
So if these coyotes (or coywolves) are roaming around the city, isn’t that dangerous? It turns out that in most cases, there are less than 40 human-coyote interactions reported a year in most cities (again, see that Utah State research), and, with proper caution, they pose very little threat to city-dwellers or our personal furry friends.
According to the Urban Coyote Initiative, the best thing we can do is keep our distance and avoid feeding them. Coyotes make their territories out of urban parks and other green areas, but much prefer to stay away from humans. As long as we keep it that way, it’s very unlikely that they’ll ever approach.
That said, NYC parks has a few tips for coexisting with urban coyotes:
1. Do Not Feed Coyotes. Keeping coyotes wild is the key to coexistence. Their life and your safety depend upon coyotes remaining naturally wary of people.
2. Remove Attractants. Store food, pet food, and garbage in animal proof containers. Do not leave food or garbage behind in a park.
3. Supervise Pets. Walk dogs on a leash and keep cats inside for safety.
4. Keep Coyotes Wary. If you are approached, act big and make loud noises until the coyote retreats.
5. Appreciate Coyotes. From a distance. Stay at least 150 feet (45 meters) or more from the animal.
They also note that you don’t necessarily have to report sightings as long as the coyotes are not causing problems. The Mecklenburg County Government says the same:
Encounters with coyotes should be treated the same as with any wild animal — simply keep your distance and leave them alone. Under normal conditions, coyotes do not present a danger to people. Simply sighting a coyote is not a cause for alarm and there is no need to call police or other authorities.
So there you have it. There’s no need to sit on your porch, guarding your animals from the urban coyotes, although it’s not a bad idea to keep your eye on your pets, especially cats and smaller dogs, since coyotes are more likely to be aggressive toward them than toward humans.
