Video of 5 yr old child threatened by coyote in suburban Chicago.

[Stinky The Clown]

I saw this on our local news and found this video. (there may be a few second ad at the start - cuz new youtube)

[HelpImSurrounded]

1. That doesn't look like threatening body language to me

The interaction is not good but that doesn't look like threatening body posture to me. Any coyote experts?

[Disaffected]

8. Not an expert but

I have to agree with you. I frequently have coyotes on my acreage and have witnessed many interactions between they and my myself & dog.

It looked to me like territorial or pup protection i.e. get outta my (our) space, rather than an attack.

People over-react - coyote attacks on people are rare.

[DemocracyMouse]

13. Observation: when the child instinctively raised her arms, the cayote backed off

[Quixote1818]

26. Yes, and because she turned and faced it.

That is exactly what you are supposed to do when a wild animal approaches you. I have been charged by a black bear and a Pitbull. Both times I turned and faced them and they went from chasing to an immediate stop. When I turned away from the Pitbull it started after me again so I faced it again and started slowly walking toward it (this was actually the wrong move I found out later) but it did then back away and then it left me alone.

[DemocracyMouse]

51. You faced off a bear! Nice job! Did it with a loose cow once.

On a farm. Does that count?

[Disaffected]

64. I did that with a momma moose & calf once

because I was dumb enough to get too close trying to take a pic.

Turned around to face it, loudly clapped my hands and it veered off into the trees.

If one keeps his distance, they are otherwise very docile.

[Quixote1818]

22. I think the girl is lucky she turned and faced it

It looked to me like it was sizing her up and trying to determine if attacking her was worth the risk. Her turning and facing it made it more cautious. Had she took off running it might have bit the back of her achilles tendon. It likely would not have attacked her but you never know. If you have ever watched wolves or coyotes surround prey, they don't exactly look aggressive. They can look almost playful and bounce around looking for an opportunity to nip at the back of the foot to take out the achilles tendon.

Attacks on humans are rare but every year a few people get attacked. They are wild animals:


https://urbancoyoteresearch.com/sites/default/files/resources/WhiteandGehrt_CoyoteAttacks.pdf

[NCLefty]

34. I'm going to go out on a limb and say I don't think they do "friendly interactions." :p

[aikoaiko]

56. Predators will test their pray; sizing them up

And a lot depends on how hungry they are.

For wolves, coyotes, and dogs, that stumbling motion of a young animal is almost irresistible not to investigate.

[lillypaddle]

89. Over-react or not

If that is my child, fuck that coyote. Really, would you not be concerned if it were YOUR child????

[HelpImSurrounded]

91. I'd teach my child not to panic and how to read the situation

[lillypaddle]

99. Do you have children?

You're going to rely on a 5 yo to stay calm and "read the situation?" And then hope her 5 yo judgement is spot on. Yeah, okay.

[HelpImSurrounded]

105. The earlier you start, the better

[lillypaddle]

109. Do you have children?

Didn't think so

[Jirel]

106. Not really.

There’s wildlife all around. Kids have to learn to interact appropriately. 99% of wildlife is not dangerous. It’s more afraid of a large predator INCLUDING TODDLER SIZED than we need to be afraid. My only concern would have been for why the coyote was acting unusually, for example, had someone raised it or is someone feeding it.

[lillypaddle]

110. The video shows the coyote running up to her

she says it grabbed "bit" her on the back. I'm done with this conversation. Frankly, I think it's stupid.

[Coventina]

2. That's a whole lot of nothing. If the coyote wanted to attack her it would have attacked her.

People are idiots when it comes to animals.

Another thing: they don't hear them "fighting" they hear the normal vocalizations that they make with each other.

Coyotes are not generally aggressive to each other except in extreme circumstances.

[RhodeIslandOne]

35. I would say dismissing a generally wild creature that's showing no fear is also idiotic.

Coyotes don't generally attack humans, but someone feeding them and making them quasi-domesticated is dangerous.

[Coventina]

37. Sorry, I should have made myself a bit more clear: This VIDEO is a whole lot of nothing.

If there is a coyote in the neighborhood that has lost its fear of humans, yes, that is a problem.

And yes, people have NO BUSINESS feeding coyotes. That is unsafe for both the humans and the coyotes.

If such things are happening in this neighborhood, parents also have NO BUSINESS letting any child under the age of at LEAST 10 years old alone in a place where the coyotes can roam.

[HelpImSurrounded]

48. +1

[RhodeIslandOne]

94. So then there IS a bit of a problem then....

.... I think blaming the mother for letting her child go to the mailbox is a bit much. We have no idea if they personally knew there were coyotes in the neighborhood.

[Coventina]

97. Did you watch the whole video? The mother complains about hearing the coyotes at night.

They knew about it before this incident.

[RhodeIslandOne]

98. I did and she actually never says that.

The reporter says neighbors down the street reported that.

[Coventina]

102. OK, then the parents are dangerously oblivious.

If coyotes live in your neighborhood, you know.

[A HERETIC I AM]

3. They're going to contact local authorities.

And they are gonna do what? Have a chat with the Coyote? Ask him for ID? Shoot him/them?

"Local authorities"

Jesus overblown Christ.

[Coventina]

5. We have coyotes up the wazoo in our neighborhood.

If you call "the authorities" about coyotes, they laugh and hang up.

No, actually they say, "We have coyotes, they are not going away, figure it out."

[Captain Zero]

14. Heck. Give the kids some hot dogs; they can make friends

With him and pet him.

[LeftInTX]

4. Unusual that the dog was in her yard during the day and actually got close. Coyotes carry rabies

[Coventina]

6. We have tons of coyotes. There has never been a single case of rabid coyote in the county

since record keeping began.

The last case of rabies in the county was in the 60s, and it was a cat.

On edit: typo, I typed country instead of county.

[Disaffected]

11. Rabies in coyotes

is rare. It is much more common in bats and, skunks in some locals.

Just leave them alone (but watch out for cats and small dogs).

[LeftInTX]

18. In Texas there was such a problem that Parks and Wildlife air dropped rabies vaccine laced bait

[Coventina]

19. Yikes! Well, I'm glad they figured out a solution! n/t

[womanofthehills]

44. There are one to three cases of human rabies in US

A yr - 23 in the last 10 yrs. In NM, my vet said we just don’t see rabies in NM coyotes.

[LeftInTX]

104. Humans aren't the only animals who get rabies

Canine rabies can be transmitted from coyotes to dogs and dogs to coyotes. Not every dog is vaccinated. There are lots of strays out there. In 1935, 179 people died in Texas from rabies. Animal vaccinations save pets and human lives. The aerial vaccines were a godsend. Prior to the aerial vaccines, rabies in coyotes and foxes was controlled with poison and shooting.

1988 Through advanced molecular laboratory techniques (polymerase chain reaction,
commonly known as DNA fingerprinting), the Centers for Disease Control in
Atlanta confirmed the urban Mexican dog variant of rabies (later renamed the
domestic dog/coyote variant) in a coyote in Starr County in September, marking
the beginning of an epizootic in South Texas (Appendixes 9 and 19). The virus
quickly spread to unvaccinated domestic dogs in South Texas, giving Texas the
notorious distinction of being the only state in the U.S. with a dog variant of the
rabies virus.

HEALTH : Rabies Outbreak in Texas Carried North by Coyotes : Two persons have died, and 1,600 have been treated for exposure to the virus in one of the worst flare-ups in recent U.S. history. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-03-28-mn-48112-story.html

SAN DIEGO, Tex. —

Here in the dusty plains of South Texas, the piercing howl of coyotes competes with the rumble of 18-wheelers barreling through town. But the unearthly wail that jolted a neighborhood one morning last month came from a large stray dog, which sat on its haunches and keened like a wolf gone berserk.

Neighborhood kids who threw rocks at the stray knew it had attacked two dogs and bitten a boy the day before. Now they saw white foam dripping from its mouth.

By the time police--and a throng of breathless onlookers--chased the snarling stray into a chicken coop, it was obvious what analysis of the dog’s brain would later confirm: One of the worst rabies outbreaks in modern U.S. history had reached San Diego, a poor ranching community.

Since 1988, when rabid coyotes from Mexico are believed to have entered South Texas in the floodwaters of Hurricane Gilbert, a rare strain of canine rabies has moved steadily north at about 50 miles a year. Two South Texans have died, and more than 1,600 have received treatment for exposure to a virus thought virtually eradicated in the United States by pet vaccines in the 1950s.

Oral Rabies Vaccination Project
https://agrilife.org/txwildlifeservices/special-projects/oral-rabies-vaccination-project/

Rabies in coyotes was reported only sporadically in Texas until 1988, at which time a rabies strain that had previously been confined to urban dogs established itself in the coyote population along the U.S./Mexico border. The Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) data indicated that the domestic dog/coyote strain of rabies epizootic in South Texas was rapidly spreading northward. This resulted in increased rabies infections of domestic animals, the need for euthanasia or quarantine of exposed animals, the need for the post-exposure treatment of humans, and the loss of human life. From November 1988 through July 1, 1994 there were 459 reported cases of canine rabies for South Texas; 232 of those cases were found in coyotes, 199 involved domestic dogs and the remaining 28 cases were “spill over” of canine rabies into other domestic and wild species.

[appalachiablue]

7. They are everywhere and can go after small pets & kids if hungry or threatened.

I would see them walking down my suburban street at 10 am, and that was more than ten years ago.

Coyotes' habitat has been shrinking fast from growth, so they've moved into cities all over, incl. the Midwest, East, South.

Coyote stalking woman & her dog.

[StarryNite]

20. That's a beautiful coyote.

[tinrobot]

40. Urban Coyotes are vermin

No different than rats

[exboyfil]

55. My daughter says one step up

from Trash Pandas.

[Disaffected]

65. Yeah,

so are a lotta urban people (but we don't necessarily persecute them).

[Blue_true]

75. Humans have destroyed their habitat. What are they supposed to do, wait to go extinct?

They will simply adapt, it that means living in cities and eating out of dumpsters and over-turning trashcans, they will do that to survive.

I am of the mindset that cities and surburbs should set aside total wild space and seal in in with fencing and plastic walls (to keep snakes in, they can climb rough surfaces). Those places should be off limits to people, except for guided tours on occasion. Anyone caught there (lovers, druggies, kids smoking or drinking) should have their asses hauled off to jail. The spaces would give wild animals a place to do what wild animals do.

[tinrobot]

83. Actually, cities are a great habitat for coyotes, and that's the problem.

Coyotes thrive in cities.

Cities are a rich food source - coyotes eat our leftovers, our trash, rats and other small animals, as well as our pets.

Cities are generally safe for coyotes. With the possible exception of cars, coyotes have no natural predators in cities. Humans do not purposely kill them like we do with rats and mice. There's also plenty of shelter for them to raise their pups.

Can't say the same about the wild. There's less food, less shelter, less safety. Coyote population in cities is far denser than in the wild.

[GulfCoast66]

118. At least in the east that's not true.

We exterminated the red wolves which were native in the Southeast. So coyotes, which are not native to the eastern US have filled the vacant niche in the ecosystem. Red wolves were more similar in size in habits to the coyotes than timber wolves so it is not surprising. Both are more suited to the dense woods and swamps the Southeast used to be. But when we had red wolves they kept the coyotes generally west of east Texas. Killed them if they came in their territory. And unlike timber wolves they could run them down and catch them even in dense vegetation.

So actually we have benefited the coyotes.

I have mixed feel about them. They control the population of feral cats and also pet cats whose irresponsible owner let them run free. House cats are a non-native predator species that reap havoc on wild bird populations that did not evolve with them in the ecosystem.

But they can also threaten young children. If they become used to humans enough they are running around in daylight then I have no problem removing them from urban environments.

[Blue_true]

124. I see your points. Thanks for the history lesson.

It is a tough situation. We have encroached on them and we leave (unintentionally) tasty morsels for them with our trash and small pets. I have to admit though, if I had a child that was too young to put up a defense against a coyote, that child would never be left alone, even to go to the mailbox.

[RhodeIslandOne]

95. The eastern coyotes around here are fairly mangy

And skittish.

[Crunchy Frog]

93. It's kind of reassuring to me that some wildlife is adapting so well

Last edited Thu Sep 26, 2019, 08:39 PM - Edit history (1)

To human dominated habitats, and are thriving in spite of destruction of wilderness.

There's so many other species that don't handle that transition at all.

[appalachiablue]

100. True, it's only natural for coyotes or any species to try to move & adapt.

Maybe like humans will be trying when the ravages of climate change really start!

[tblue37]

101. That bold fellow is obviously a successful hunter. Look at how well fed he is. nt

[Progressive Jones]

9. I'll shoot if they enter my yard. nt

[Coventina]

10. Unless you are out in the country, that would be a firearms violation. n/t

[Disaffected]

12. Why not try

Live and Let Live instead?

[Progressive Jones]

15. Coyotes weren't trying "Live and Let Live" when they killed my neighbor's dog... nt

[Coventina]

17. You really don't get nature, do you?

The coyotes were there first, and they are hunters.

Of course they are going to be looking for prey on their territory.

[stopdiggin]

24. feel the same way about them attacking humans?

Yeah. They were there first (I don't think anyone's questioning that). But that was then, this is now. I'm kind of a live and let live sort too .. when I'm out on a hike, and run across critters including the occasional rattlesnake. You go your way, I'll go mine. By they are not welcome to come live with me in my house! And if I have children playing in my yard .. they shouldn't be there either! With all due respect .. it's MY territory now!

(and yes I am fully aware that coyotes attacking humans is exceedingly rare .. at the same time, anyone under the impression that a coyote and a small child [unattended] in the yard at the same time is just okie-dokie .. really needs to reexamine their thinking)

[Coventina]

38. Of course coyotes shouldn't be encouraged to come in peoples' houses!

The wild should stay wild, for their safety and ours.

And, I never said children with coyotes was okie-dokie.

If you happen to live alongside coyotes, then one should NEVER let small children play in a coyote-accessible area alone. That's just bad parenting.

[Disaffected]

67. Yes, and the same with

cats and small dogs (or other small pets).

[Blue_true]

78. Bingo. nt

[FuzzyRabbit]

29. Coyotes were here first? Not necessarily.

I have lived in western Washington (west of the Cascade mountain range which divides the state north to south) all my life, more than 70 years. In my youth, there were no coyotes in western Washington. None.

Since the last 25 years they have multiplied in Seattle, with sightings every day. They prefer cities where tasty squirrels and kitty cats are on their dinner menu.

[Coventina]

39. Granted, sometimes coyote populations shift around, and they thrive on garbage produced by humans.

That's how we got dogs, after all.

My point is that they've been around for longer than homo sapiens, and we need to be smarter about how we live with our fellow species.

[Hekate]

115. Coyotes range all across North America now: they followed our highways, railroads, & tunnels

Humans changed the topography -- coyotes adapted. Believe me, they are in no danger of extinction.

[MineralMan]

42. They weren't always there first at all.

We have 'em now in St. Paul, MN. That's a very recent expansion of their territory. They weren't here 15 years ago when I moved here. They're here now.

Climate change? Perhaps. But, coyotes take advantage of whatever opportunities present themselves. I grew up in Southern California, where coyotes have been endemic since about forever. We never saw them in our yards, though. they were out in the citrus orchards an in the hills around my small town, but not in people's yards.

Why? Because any coyote stupid enough to come into residential neighborhoods would soon be a dead coyote. There was zero tolerance for coyotes in residential neighborhoods. If one showed up someone shot it.

Now, people are less likely to do that, and the coyotes have become bolder.

I saw one a block away from my house last year. I can't tell it this, but it would be wise to stay out of my yard. We have two docile, overweight beagles who have a dog door into our fenced back yard. If a coyote shows up in that back yard, I'll shoot it dead on sight. I'll be violating the law against discharging a firearm in the city limits, but I'll speak to the neighbors about it if I have to do that, and there won't be any reason for the police to show up.

The coyotes weren't here first in St. Paul, MN. They're here now, taking advantage of our hesitation to reduce the population of predators in our neighborhoods. I won't have them in my yard. It's that simple.

[Coventina]

43. Yee haw! So you're going to risk discharging your firearm, against the law, in an unsafe area?

Glad I'm not your neighbor.

We have coyotes in our neighborhood all.the.time. it's a fact of life (we live next door to a Native American reservation).

(I know populations of coyotes shift, as I noted above, I meant they've been around for longer than homo sapiens).

You don't let your pets (or small children) outside unsupervised. It's really that simple.

No need for gunplay.

And, if you allow your dogs to be overweight, that's animal abuse.

[MineralMan]

49. That's why I built the fence around my backyard.

The dogs go and and out as they choose. They are limited to the fenced area, which is also designed to protect them. We take our dogs for walks, leashed at all times, as well.

As for their weight, that's the nature of beagles, who are walking stomachs. We work on controlling it, but are less than completely successful.

We live in quite different environments.

[Coventina]

50. Is your fence at least 6 feet high?

With a foot underground? (If you have loose topsoil).

Then your dogs ought to be safe in that yard.

When walking your dogs, a stout, 6-8 foot long stick is your best defensive weapon for any surprise attacks. But coyotes rarely attack when there is an adult present. They might shadow you for awhile, just to size up the situation, and then will move on. And, that is most likely to happen at dawn or dusk and after nighfall. Day attacks are EXTREMELY rare.

[MineralMan]

54. Thanks for the advice.

I grew up in a place that had plenty of coyotes. I have encountered them often. So, I'm quite familiar with their behavior. I have never killed a coyote. I have shot over coyotes a few times, on my parent's citrus and avocado orchard. That generally moves them on to somewhere else for a while.

Where I live now is not a traditional or historical habitat for coyotes. They are a recent arrival in this part of Minnesota. We also now have cougar reports around here. Bears, deer, raccoons, foxes and many other critters wander into the residential neighborhoods from time to time, as well. We feed a variety of birds and assorted rodents in our front yard. They're smart enough to avoid the back yard, which sometimes has a dog or two in it.

The biggest risk for our dogs is other dogs. That's why I do carry a walking staff with me on our walks with the dogs. I've had to use it a couple of times on loose dogs. since our two beagles are on leashes, They cannot flee if an aggressive dog approaches. A whack on the ribs of such an aggressive dog generally levels the playing field somewhat, though.

it is highly unlikely that a coyote would find its way into my fenced back yard. So, I'm not that concerned. However, it would be a fatal mistake for a coyote encroach on my territory. I have my own territory, with clearly marked boundaries. I respect the coyote's territory, but I expect the same in return.

[Coventina]

57. Agreed about the loose dogs. Although we have coyotes, odds are more likely a loose dog will

cause problems.

Our current dog came to us from the reservation. He was completely feral, but has turned into a really wonderful pet.
It took some time & effort, though!

Now, he's a complete baby. Won't go outside if it's raining.

[Blue_true]

80. From the little that I understand of them, Coyotes are periodic migratory animals.

It doesn't matter that you haven't seen them in your area before, the conditions there now are better for them than where they migrated from.

BTW, welcome back. Haven't seen you around for a while.

[MineralMan]

82. Yes, as their population goes up and resources become scarce,

they expand out from their territories, looking for prey elsewhere. They are certainly not an endangered species.

[Blue_true]

79. The fence must also be flush to the house and other structures.

I share your perspective on the issue.

Here is Florida, a new development was built down near Orlando. People freaked out when they saw rattlesnakes crawling across their lawn. The developer had built into their habitat and officials allowed that.

Generally will animals try to avoid us until they can't, or we do stuff like feed them and cause them to become reliant on us.

[Disaffected]

68. The "simple" reason(s)

coyotes are found in urban areas is that they often have nowhere to go because of habitat loss and, urban areas offer lots of attractions, also caused by humans, such as loose garbage, compost and pet food lying around. Same thing for skunks, hares etc.

You do have lax gun laws if discharging a firearm in an urban setting is not a reason for the police to show up (IMO).

[MineralMan]

71. The police only show up if someone calls them.

Not everyone reports a single gunshot. There are too many fireworks being set off near where I live throughout the year. If someone reported ever loud report of a gunshot or firework, the police would be very, very busy.

In the end, if someone shoots a coyote in their backyard, it's unlikely that the local county attorney would file charges. And if charges were filed, the case would probably be dismissed. People do understand the risks of wild predators in residential areas. Most often, such things are simply ignored, as long as no people are harmed.

Those are the realities of it.

[Coventina]

74. *shrug* Your neighborhood must be vastly different from mine.

Police are always called whenever anything resembling a gunshot is heard.

I've lived in neighborhoods like yours, though, where gunshots were common, and rarely reported.
I remember vividly one New Years Eve (1996/7) I was doing laundry in my apt. complex's laundry room (yeah, I had no life) and someone fired a gun repeatedly right outside the door. I could hear the shells pinging down on the sidewalk.
That was life in that neighborhood.
(and coyote-free, but honestly? I'd rather have the coyotes).

This neighborhood, where I live now, is hyper-vigilant about guns.

And, anyone offending the gun laws would be prosecuted for sure.

And, I would certainly report anyone taking pot shots at any sort of creature.

That's my reality.

[hunter]

87. Coyotes moved in when wolves were exterminated.

We live in a California city that is surrounded by farmland and ranches. The coyotes here are damned near invisible. Farmers and ranchers have been shooting them on sight for a hundred and fifty years or more but it hasn't made coyotes extinct.

Outdoor cats and small dogs roaming freely, especially at night, are not safe.

Our backyard is safe from coyotes. The same fence that keeps our husky in keeps the coyotes out.

When I was a kid living in rural California we lost a small dog, maybe a few cats, and too many chickens to coyotes. Some of our larger dogs had been injured by coyotes, one was missing a chunk of ear, but in those cases our dogs had attacked first. They hated coyotes.

I saw one of these fights when one of our dogs and I caught a coyote going through our trash. The coyote tried to run but our dog was right on it and they both got a little bloody before they decided to break it off, probably because I was coming after them yelling like a Berserker.

My wife's parents live in rural California and they never let their cats outside unsupervised.

[PoliticAverse]

52. I didn't realize there was an obligation for prey to be preyed upon. n/t

[Coventina]

53. And when did I say that? Most wildlife experts estimate that only 1 in 20 hunts are successful.

It's tough to be a predator.

[Hekate]

116. Odd how some people think, isn't it?

[EX500rider]

90. "The coyotes were there first, and they are hunters."

Since coyotes have been expanding their range they weren't necessarily "there first".
Humans have been on N America for over 15,000 years, lots of places we were "there first".

[Progressive Jones]

111. I live in an urban area. There are children and pets here.

Do farmers just let coyote take down their livestock without a fight?

[Coventina]

112. Coyotes are only threats to chickens.

One would hope responsible farmers would take their safety into consideration.

But, by and large, my sympathy for livestock farmers is nil, or less.

[Hekate]

117. Ever seen one run off with a housecat in its jaws?

Thought not.

[Coventina]

120. Yes, actually I have, it's a pretty common sight around here.

By chickens, I was responding to the previous posters comments about farming livestock.
I in no way meant to imply that was the only thing they preyed upon.

[Disaffected]

66. That phrase applies

to supposedly intelligent humans, not to wild animals who act on instinct.

[MineralMan]

72. Humans are also predators and carnivores.

We've just shifted the predator jobs to others so we don't have to kill our own food.

[Disaffected]

73. Sadly true.

[Blue_true]

77. They were wild animals doing what wild animals do.

We have enchroached into their habitat with our homes. To slaughter them is the ultimate statement that we have our way regardless of our tone deafness.

[Blue_true]

76. And you would go to jail. Just put of lights with motion sensors, they don't like that. nt

[RhodeIslandOne]

92. If you shoot one, you better shoot the whole pack

It’s not that simple.

[TygrBright]

16. I'd worry about pets, but not a kid...

I didn't see any threat there... naturally the kid was startled, but the coyote's behavior looked more like a territorial display than any real aggression.

Urban coyotes are mostly solitary hunters and rarely attack anything larger than a toy-size dog or large housecat. Mostly they prey on small rodents, snakes, lizards, etc. and make opportunistic raids on any garbage or other edibles left available by humans. They'll go after carrion from larger predators' kills.

Coyotes in the wild will form packs and hunt cooperatively for larger game, but that behavior has not been observed in the urban populations.

While I certainly wouldn't let pets roam in our area, where there are lots of coyotes, I appreciate their presence and diligence in keeping the goddamn gophers and other burrowing/garden destroying rodents to a minimum.

informatively,
Bright

[StarryNite]

21. Exactly

Coyotes are part of the natural balance.

[Quixote1818]

23. I would totally worry about a coyote approaching a child. Every year there are attacks on humans

COYOTE ATTACKS ON HUMANS IN THE US AND CANADA

https://urbancoyoteresearch.com/sites/default/files/resources/WhiteandGehrt_CoyoteAttacks.pdf

[LeftInTX]

28. Yikes!!!

I wonder if their behavior is regional?

Around here, they are elusive and afraid of people.

[Quixote1818]

30. Are you in a rural area?

Many have become less and less afraid of humans in urban areas:

&t=589s

[LeftInTX]

33. Urban (suburban)

Their den across the street was displaced when they built homes about 10 years ago. (We used to hear them and now we don't) We rarely see them in the neighborhood. 20 years ago, there was a problem with them attacking cats, but their activity has decreased. There is a park (linear creekway that goes for miles) near our home and there is plenty of room for them there. Like deer they would have to cross a major road to get to the park, but once there, there is plenty of room for them.

The only other natural predator they have are mountain lions (which are very rare around here) and bobcats (which are rarely seen and I have no idea how common they are). Raccoons are major pests around here, but I have no idea if they could be considered predators of coyotes. Raccoons do things in groups and can be vicious.

[lostnfound]

32. In my neighborhood they walk on the sidewalks or alleys or into yards

Jump over fences with ease.
Suburban Chicago.
Getting a bit much, especially with pets occasionally killed.

[Hekate]

25. Coyotes are smart & have learned a lot from us & our dogs. Such as...

Coyotes have been observed using classic doggy "play posture" to lure pet dogs to their deaths. Um, yes, it is a trick. And yes, those pets are killed and eaten by the pack. I first heard of this from my sister, who lives in upstate New York -- and next from a neighbor here in the coastal foothills of California, who almost lost her dog while she was taking a run with him. He was lured into the underbrush and almost out of her sight before he heeded her urgent command to return.

Dear DUers who love wild animals: the operative word is "wild." And "predator." They have their ways, and we have ours. It is not smart to anthropomorphize and sentimentalize them. I watched that clip -- that wild animal was not being friendly at all to that little girl.

Two years ago my husband and I moved into a lovely neighborhood in the foothills. The houses were built 32 years ago, but all the coyotes did was move over a bit. This is still their place. Our dog never goes outside unaccompanied and never takes a walk without a leash. We hear the coyotes singing and hunting at night and sometimes see them in the day. One night they got something big -- I have no idea what species it was, just that it screamed and that the screaming went on for ages until I finally shut all the windows.

Admire their wildness? Sure. Trust them? Never.

[Quixote1818]

27. Agree 100% There are plenty of coyote attacks on humans ever year

and just as you said, they use the play posture to trick dogs. I think it's possible this otter is trying to give the mother deer a false sense it wants to play but is actually looking for an opportunity to get the baby deer. The mother wisely stays cautious and constantly stays between the otter and her babies. Otters can kill things many times their own size:

&t=142s

[LeftInTX]

31. Creepy!!

I'm surprised mom didn't high tail it out of there along with her babies. (I was watching to see if they could run with her and they are able to run...)

[jeffreyi]

69. That is really interesting.

The fawns are oblivious, not threatened at all.

[orleans]

36. i remember this coyote story

from chicago

[LeftInTX]

107. OMG!

It's funny how the coyote population has exploded in Chicago.

They are native to San Antonio, but I've never seen one downtown. They usually live in fields around here. And when they built new homes in the field across from my house the occasional nuisance coyotes kinda left the area.

[orleans]

121. i'm in a burb outside of chgo

and a couple yrs ago there was a family of 3 coyotes walking down the street about one or two in the morning on a balmy & foggy january night. it was an awesome sight.

my daughter lives a town over and her house is on a branch of a little river. on the other side is a nice, somewhat secluded fiend that the coyotes like to set up camp in. (on the other side of the field is a subdivision)

[llmart]

41. I clicked on this link because I saw a coyote just yesterday.

Suburban SE Michigan. I was going to the park that I frequent almost every day for the past 27 years. I knew the park had coyotes but never saw one. Yesterday one ran across the road right in front of my car. It was about 1:00 PM. I always thought they were elusive and more of a night roamer. I have also heard that there was one in our small subdivision which has a pond with waterfowl.

[Coventina]

46. I live alongside coyotes. They are a fact of life here. You don't let your pets out,

especially cats! alone and unattended.

Leaving a dog tied in a yard is animal abuse.

You also don't let small children play alone and unsupervised. That's just bad parenting.

On edit: Friends of ours had their small dog snatched by an owl from their yard. Horrible! But what are you going to do? Shoot every owl from the sky? Nature isn't kind. I don't like it, but we have no choice but to accept it and do what we can to live with it.

[3catwoman3]

85. You don't let young children play alone...

...and unsupervised ANYWHERE, right?

Our cats are indoor cats. I tell them they are trading their freedom for their longevity, and that it is a damn good deal.

[Coventina]

86. Kind of depends on some various factors, and how young we are talking.

But yes, a child as small as the one depicted in the original video should have NEVER been left alone in the front yard like that.

There are worse predators than coyotes (I mean the two-legged kind).

[3catwoman3]

88. The 2-legged variety is exactly what I was thinking of.

When doing well visits on toddlers, preschoolers, and young schoolagers, I always tell parents that kids are fast, curious, and have no judgement - not a great combination of traits when it comes to safety.

[RhodeIslandOne]

96. She went out to get the mail

Is the story in the video. I don’t think that’s bad parenting per se.

Of course there are humans who stumble upon these opportunities that are worse than mangy garbage eating dogs.

[womanofthehills]

47. As I type, a coyote is yelping - I live out in the country

Sometimes, a whole pack of coyotes run through my place yelping. I have a love and hate thing with them as they have eaten my chickens and my chickens are in a pretty tight enclosure. I do worry about my dogs although my dogs are bigger than the coyotes.

[Johnny2X2X]

58. Coyotes in different regions can behave differently

There are parts of the country where coyotes are almost entirely solitary. Other parts they hunt in loose packs. I think some coyotes are more aggressive than others. Really a wide range of behaviors from this animal.

This child was in danger IMO, if she had stumbled she would have bitten, but the coyote really looks for prey it can carry off.

My dog chased one out of the yard last year, we have a 65 lb American Staffordshire Terrier and she was in no danger, but I could wee how if we lived further out the coyote could lure her away and get her exhausted enough to be vulnerable.

[Disaffected]

70. There is also apparently a distinct difference

between "easter" and "western" coyotes. Western coyotes are m/l "coyotes" while the easterners are thought to be somewhat inbred with wolves which tends to make them more aggressive as well as larger.

My experience with coyotes has always been in the west - maybe the east is different.

[ecstatic]

59. What's going on? Coyotes have been appearing in my community too.

The funny part is that once the coyote changed course, she slowed down to look back. Keep running next time!

The coyotes must be pretty desperate to be showing up in "heavily populated" areas. More fallout from our current mass extinction event, I suppose.

[Coventina]

61. No, running is the WORST thing you can do.

Canine species are triggered to "chase".

If you are being pursued by any canine species, FACE THEM DOWN!

You might still be attacked, depending on your size, the size of the animals, and other factors.

But running will only increase their prey drive.

[ecstatic]

62. I'll take your word for it, but once someone

starts running, don't they have to continue (considering the animal's prey drive is already activated?)?

[Coventina]

63. No, unless it is a pack situation (in which case, keep running if there's a chance to get to safety)

the best thing you can do is stop and face them aggressively.

That will make them stop and reassess the situation.
If you are bigger, more threatening, and seem more trouble than you're worth, they will back down.

While they are chasing, their prey drive is getting stronger and stronger.
And, they can outrun you. When you've slowed, that's when they will attack. That's what they've evolved to do.

But, if you suddenly stop and challenge them, that stops the process in its tracks.
They have NOT evolved to fight mano-a-mano as it were. That is very risky for them and they won't usually do it unless there are other factors in play (are you in their safe space (den, yard, etc)? Are you threatening their offspring? Their food?)
If it's a straight-forward "hunt" situation they will quickly decide you are not suitable prey and will take off.

[Kaleva]

81. They are not desperate. It's just that urban and suburban areas have much better supplies of food.

I've seen them in downtown Chicago.

[LeftInTX]

108. Coyotes do fairly well in urban areas.

If coyotes are showing up, raccoons will too.

I'll take coyotes over raccoons.

[GulfCoast66]

60. We have them in my Central Florida neighborhood.

They are not native in the east but have filled the niche left when we killed all the red wolves which were more similar to coyote than a timber wolf in size and habits. So I really don’t mind them.

One good thing about them is eliminating feral cats. I hate feral or even house pet cats allowed outside. The are non-native predators our that birds did not evolve with. Our birds are under tremendous pressure as it is. Since the coyotes showed up you rarely see cats about.

[tavernier]

84. We don't have them in the Florida Keys.

But we have some damn big ass iguanas.

[Niagara]

103. In my neighborhood, we have both red foxes and coyotes

I've never seen them during the day, but I have seen them as dusk settles in.


Last summer in the Buffalo area, there was a black bear traveling from community to community. Sadly, he had a broken foreleg from getting hit on a highway and the Amherst Police Department shot him.

https://www.wivb.com/news/bear-spotted-last-week-in-erie-county-is-on-the-move/

[enid602]

113. Coyotes

I see coyotes in my yard on most days. This coyote in the video seemed very playful. They go after small humans. One coyote will play with the prey for a bit to divert attention, and there are usually several others in hiding that come in for the kill.

[Sapient Donkey]

114. beep beep

[LeftInTX]

122. I think that it went in her yard after seeing her wasn't good

They know their territories and if they're in a yard, they know it's not their territory. In a yard, they are usually after something and they exhibit a sneaky/nervous posture and avoid humans. (They're probably looking for the household pet)

This one acted a bit like a dog.

[leftyladyfrommo]

123. It could also mean it was sick or starving.

That is not normal behavior.