Coyotes

The bottom photo is of a coyote at 7000 feet and minus 11 degrees F, taken in Alberta, Canada. The top photo is of a coyote here at The Azure Gate in Tucson with temperature over 100 degrees F. In both cases the tail is nice and full. But, the Alberta coyote has a fuller coat, with more fur on the paws than the Tucson coyote.  Yet, both look very healthy. They simply adapt to the climate. The Tucson coyote is carrying a carcass -- I suspect a rabbit from its size. Coyote and deer populations have been increasing dramatically over the past couple of decades -- probably due to the reduction in wolf and mountain lion populations. I read that government agencies kill approximately 90,000 coyotes a year. A staggering number. In fact, hard to believe. If that included road kill, maybe. I know that in Arizona, the Fish and Game department killed over 200 (by helicopter) in the area around Sonoita 40 miles southeast of Tucson two years ago. It was done as a complete surprise to the general public which was outraged after the fact. Citizens bombarded AZF&G and newspapers with comments. Coyote attacks on humans is very rare. There have been only two deaths from coyotes in the past 50 years. One was in California in 1981 and one in Nova Scotia just two months ago. It was a toddler in the first case, and a 19 year old in the latter. To put this into perspective, the latest studies show that in the United States 800,000 people are bitten by a dog each year and on average 1008 people are treated in emergency rooms for dog bites every single day. That is truly staggering. The number of fatal dog bites (attacks) has been increasing. In 2007 there were 33 deaths in the US from "domesticated" dogs. None from wolves or coyotes.