Ever since the European settlers arrived in this country, the coyote, revered for its intelligence and cunning by Native American tribes, has been continually and unfairly persecuted. The white man viewed any and all predators as a threat, and "God's dog" was considered to be nothing more than a pest. But despite the continual persecution of the "trickster," why are there now more coyotes than ever?
Wildlife experts note that the coyote's success may in fact be directly correlated to the lethal attempts to control its population. When left alone, the coyote's population is naturally regulated. When hunted and killed, this natural process is disrupted. Litter sizes often increase in response, and members of a pack may be dispersed resulting in more reproducing coyotes. "Competitions" such as the Pennsylvania Trappers Association's Northeast Regional Coyote Hunt, which took place this February, where a prize is awarded to the hunter who brings in the heaviest coyote, are contrary to the process of natural selection, where the weak are taken. Such competitions encourage (as do "big-buck" contests) taking of the largest, and thereby some of the healthiest, animals. In the case of coyotes, this may be the alpha male, disrupting the social structure of the surviving resident coyotes.
Coyotes were once found only in the western region of North America. But as the settlers slaughtered wolves and other larger predators to near extinction, the coyotes moved into the territory of their former predators and now inhabit the entire continent. The eastern coyote is generally larger and darker in color than its western cousin because it is actually a cross between the western coyote and a wolf. Coyotes first arrived in Pennsylvania in the early 1900s.
The damage to coyotes in modern times has been inflicted in large part by the USDA's Animal Damage Control (ADC) program (recently renamed "Wildlife Services" in a pathetic attempt to appear wildlife-friendly, I suppose). When western ranchers howl about Washington's interference with their way of life, they certainly don't complain about the billions of taxpayer dollars spent inhumanely killing wildlife to "protect" livestock and grazing rights on federal lands. Methods used by the ADC to slaughter coyotes include poisons, leghold traps, strangulation neck snares, aerial gunning, and "denning" (the killing of pups in their dens with poison gas and/or clubbing). Hunters also want to kill coyotes so they can continue to eliminate any competition for deer.
But many ranchers and farmers believe in coexisting with wildlife and have learned there are alternatives to killing. Sheep dogs, llamas, and donkeys are used to protect livestock, and ranchers recognize that sustaining minimal losses is part of the territory. Coyotes also help the ecosystem, since 80% of their diet is rodents. But coyotes are omnivores, which is why they can survive so readily in more urban areas feeding on everything from garbage and pet food left outdoors to fruit trees.
I fondly remember first hearing the call of coyotes when I lived in the canyons of Los Angeles. Unfortunately, many companion animals become a food source for coyotes in such densely populated areas, but people are largely to blame. If you live in an area with coyotes, you should not leave cats outside, especially after dark. The same goes for small dogs. And while larger dogs could be injured in a confrontation, I recall watching in amazement one evening as three coyotes socialized quite nicely with my (70-pound) dog.
There has only been one recorded case of a coyote killing a human, a child in California whose family was feeding coyotes and sitting in lawn chairs watching them eat! Rather than killing every coyote in sight, however, the city of Glendale wisely opted for public-education programs, and confrontations with coyotes in the area subsequently ceased.
"Survivor" is such a big catchphrase these days one wonders why we can't have more respect and tolerance for the true survivors of this planet. We can learn much from coyotes and other surviving predatory animals. They may be clever but they are not devious; they may kill but they don't murder. I recently heard that the coyote has been chosen as one of the mascots for next winter's Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. Ironically, just as these animals are being celebrated for their intelligence and strength, they are simultaneously being hunted down and killed just outside the boundaries of the Olympic host city in a body-count type contest.
If you are interested in learning more about the techniques and products available to co-exist with our wild neighbors, Animal Protection Institute (API) has a wonderful brochure, HUMANE WAYS TO LIVE WITH COYOTES (also HUMANE WAYS TO LIVE WITH DEER). You can check out their Web site at www.api4animals.org. The Fund for Animals (www.fund.org) offers fact sheets and an educational video, KILLING COYOTE.
Return to Vegetarian: For Your Health, for the
Animals, for the Planet
by Teresa D'Amico