Do coyotes thrive in cities more than in the wild?
A study in Washington State found about nine times as many coyotes per area in Seattle as in remote forests.
Recent research published in the journal Environmental Research: Ecology has found that coyotes are thriving in urban areas at nine times the density they do in the wild. While pigeons, rats and cockroaches might be more emblematic city-dwellers, coyotes have shown an aptitude for urban living, making their presence in cities like West Hollywood, Chicago, and suburban Miami routine.
In a study led by University of Washington wildlife ecologist Laura Prugh, researchers tracked coyotes through their scat and found that urban coyotes are much more closely packed together than their wild counterparts. This is attributed to several factors, including less predation from wolves, bears, and mountain lions in cities, as well as a more diverse and abundant food supply provided by overflowing trash cans, fast-food burgers, and urban bunny rabbits.
However, despite the higher density, coyotes seem conflicted about urban life, being drawn to the city's offerings but not the humans that built it. Prugh suggests that we should accept the presence of coyotes in cities and learn how to coexist with them.
Written by urgent.news from Anthropocene Magazine's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
