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60 people come out to learn about coyotes
By Sean Barron
CANFIELD
Don’t be surprised if you are enjoying time in your backyard and, without warning, you receive a visit from an unexpected and unwelcome guest, a wildlife professor says.
“More coyotes are closer to people today than there ever has been,” Dr. Stan Gehrt told an estimated 60 people who attended his lecture Wednesday on the subject at the Ohio State University extension office, 490 S. Broad St.
During his free, two-hour presentation, he also addressed ways to avoid problems with the animals.
Gehrt, an associate professor of wildlife ecology at Ohio State University and an expert on coyotes, noted that research shows an increasing number of the wild animals have been seen in suburban and urban areas.
As they have better adjusted to urban surroundings, more interactions have occurred between coyotes and humans, Gehrt explained.
At one time, coyotes were prevalent mainly in parts of the West and Midwest. But within the last 100 years, they have migrated East and have more than doubled their range, he said. He added that despite a greater number being killed, their numbers have increased dramatically in Ohio since the 1960s.
Gehrt has studied coyotes that have established territories in the Chicago area, including several near O’Hare International Airport. He also showed brief video clips of a coyote in downtown Chicago, saying the animals can learn to adjust to traffic patterns and how to safely cross busy streets.
Locally and elsewhere, coyotes have become more prevalent partly because of more available food, water and shelter, along with a decrease in the animals’ natural fear of people, Gehrt said.
Coyotes typically reach their peak mating period in February, and most litters are born in April, which means they can be more aggressive this time of year.
So it’s imperative that people refrain from leaving food for them and be extra vigilant when walking their dogs in parks and wooded areas or having pets outdoors, Gehrt said.
Despite many people’s fears regarding their pets’ safety, attacks against dogs and cats are relatively rare because only about 5 percent of coyotes “cause incidents or are a nuisance,” he noted. Even less common are coyotes attacking people. The only ones that occasionally do are those that are infected with rabies or that are fed in such a manner as to associate food with people, Gehrt explained.
“We can’t control where coyotes live. We’ve failed at that, but we can determine whether they’re a good neighbor or a bad neighbor,” he said. “The whole key is that coyotes have to be afraid of us. That’s good for them and good for us.”