Coyotes in January
It seems fitting that with an increase of coyote sightings over the last couple of months reported within Winnipeg, our cameras begin to capture images of these mid-sized carnivores for the first time. Two events have been captured under the cover of darkness in the cold month of January along the river’s edge. Both events occurred within a week of each other at two separate camera locations along a 4.5 km stretch of river. The same coyote perhaps?
But what does this mean for the people, the animals, and the future of the urban environment? These are the questions that drive our research and help us to understand how the urban environment acts as a mediator for the interaction between wildlife and humans. Generally, coyotes in Winnipeg are not as rare of a species to be wandering our back lanes or forested parks as we may have previously thought. As our earlier blog post Animals in the News shows, coyote sightings have been widespread across Winnipeg and have occurred at all times of the day. A recent research article found that most U.S. cities have a substantial coyote population co-existing with humans. The success of these populations has been attributed to the animal’s urban behavioural adaptation which includes becoming more comfortable with humans in closer ranges, decreased roaming distances, and a more investigative/curious demeanor(1).
However, with Winnipeggers being generally unaccustomed to seeing coyotes in parks and riparian areas. What does an increase in sightings mean for the future of this co-habitation? There’s the potential for an increase in conflict between pets and coyotes as they get more curious and less cautious around humans. Alternatively, it could lead to a boost of interest and excitement towards these animals as well as a general understanding that coyotes are a part of Winnipeg’s urban wildlife population.
Co-existing with coyotes requires a cautious attitude that includes keeping yourself and your pets safe by taking preventative measures such as keeping dogs on leashes and not leaving any food scraps or other garbage around that may attract them to your yard. Noisemaking and walking sticks can be used as deterrents to protect yourself from them and being aware of your surroundings are all important methods for keeping yourself safe.
Here are a couple of recent news articles about coyote sightings in Winnipeg with some helpful information about what to do if you encounter one yourself.
https://news.umanitoba.ca/stay-alert-for-wildlife-on-campus/
1: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-38543-5
-Matt