Coyotes in the City and County of Denver
While Council District 10 is not yet experiencing a serious problem with coyotes, several other Council districts have reported an increase in constituent calls about the problem.
Coyotes in Colorado Summary
Coyotes are natives to the Midwestern prairies and have always been found in the Front Range area of Colorado. While a prairie native, they can now be found in every major ecosystem in North America, including urban cities. Coyotes now inhabit every major city in the country. An urban coyote’s diet generally consists of approximately 40% rodents, 20% fruit and the rest a combination of scavenged food and other small animals. Coyotes in this area typically range in size from 20 to 40 lbs.
In 2007 in Colorado there were three incidents involving a coyote biting a person, in two cases those bitten were protecting pets and one case involved a sick coyote. In the city of Denver alone there were 429 reported dog bites. Currently in 2008 there have been 2 coyote bites in CO, one definitely involved a human fed coyote and the most recent is yet to be determined.
Coyotes in urban environments easily become habituated to living in close proximity to people, which changes their behavior. Urban coyotes associate people with food, which reduces their natural wariness in their interactions with people and pets. Every time a coyote sees a person and nothing happens, it increases their boldness and comfort in increasingly close interactions. Feeding coyotes, either on purpose or accidentally, is the biggest culprit in creating problems. When people feed wildlife it turns humans into a source for food, and will increase ANY wild animals’ boldness towards people. With habituation we see increases in coyotes entering yards, attacking pets (for both a food source and to defend territory), and initiating contact with both people and pets.
While people are rarely in danger, coyotes can and do target pets as both competition and potential food sources. Human pets are often not adapted to protect themselves from wild animals and can be much easier targets than normal prey. Making educated management decisions about pets is the best way to protect them.
Possible Future Actions
1. Lethal action, or killing coyotes, has been proven to be a short term solution with long term problems. When there is a newly empty territory, coyotes are attracted to it, and coyote litters will increase in size to fill the territory (a single coyote can have up to 12 pups).
2. Relocation has been proven to be completely unsuccessful with coyotes. They are notoriously difficult to catch, will return to area if at all possible (traveling huge distances), and if they cannot return will usually die fairly quickly. Additionally, it is illegal in the state of CO to relocate urban coyotes.
3. Exclusion techniques, or techniques to both remove attractants to coyotes and to discourage coyotes from entering unsuitable locations, is currently the most successful tool in reducing coyote problems and populations in cities. It must be conducted on a community wide level to see large improvements, but even individual efforts can “teach” local coyotes which yards, parks, and people to avoid. Long term reduction in food sources for coyotes is the most effective means to reduce population size.
Exclusion Techniques
This is not a quick, short term process. Relate this to never saying no to a child. The first time they hear it they won’t understand or believe it. Consistency over time is the most effective means.
Here are the steps you can take:
· Individuals and groups of people responding (hazing) whenever they see a coyote. Yelling, waving arms, acting aggressively, spraying with hoses, using noisemakers will all make a coyote uncomfortable around people.
· Never ignore, just watch, or turn your back on a coyote.
· Never allow a coyote between you and a pet or child. A coyote will not want to get involved with a person.
· Remove all human sources of food. Keep trash and compost inaccessible. Pick up fallen fruit in yards. Clean out under bird feeders.
· Report any sightings of wild animals feeding from dumpsters. Include time of day and business name to environmental health by calling 3-1-1.
· Do not let cats run freely in neighborhoods. Keep small dogs in close proximity when outside. Keep all pets inside at night (or in a completely enclosed kennel) when coyotes are most active.
· Maintain fences so coyotes cannot slip underneath. Add deterrents to the tops of fences that reduce a coyote’s ability to grab on and pull themselves up and over. Coyote rollers and wire extensions can discourage animals attempting to breach fences.
· Install motion activated lights in back yard. Keep lights on when dogs are outside.
· Visually inspect yard before allowing any pet outside.
· Communicate with local officials. Report the following (include the date and location of incident): Coyote biting or attacking dogs; Coyote killing cat or dog; Coyote biting a person; Person feeding coyote, either accidentally or purposefully; Open trash cans and dumpsters at local businesses.
To view a flyer that Denver Parks and Recreation put together that is useful for distribution please click here.
To report coyote activity or for further information, contact Ashley DeLaup with Denver Parks and Recreation at ashley.delaup@denvergov.org.