Masters in WFCON
Eastern Coyote Behavior in an Urban Environment
Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant
Eastern Coyote Research Homepage: http://www.easterncoyoteresearch.com/
Recent years have shown an increase in coyote (Canis latrans)/ human interactions and conflicts in urban areas all over the country. Coyotes have become a concern to the public in many major cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, New York and Boston while also raising interest in ecological and conservation issues. Coyotes are the first large carnivore to be able to tolerate anthropogenic environments with altered landscapes and fragmented habitats. Little information is known about urban coyote behavior.
I am analyzing telemetry data on 32 coyotes collected over a 10 year period by Jonathan Way on Cape Cod, Ma. I am using ArcGIS to compare coyote behavior with land use type to essentially answer the question, What are coyotes doing in urban areas and where are they doing it? I will also break up the data by tourist season and coyote season to see how people and weather affect coyote behavior in an urban environment. With this knowledge, wildlife managers and educators can responsibly manage coyotes while also educating people on how they can help reduce coyote/human conflicts.
Updated: August 5, 2010