A research effort involving federal, state, and local partners is poised to discover new insights about the behavior of Colorado's urban coyotes and help wildlife managers improve strategies for dealing with these clever canids.
"As coyotes have adapted to living in urban environments, they've become highly tolerant of people," said Breck. "Because of this we have seen a serious increase in human-coyote encounters and conflicts. The general feeling of managers is we're seeing bolder, more aggressive coyotes."
Coyote-human conflicts have been on the rise in the Denver Metro area since 2008. Historically, about one person reported being bitten by a coyote each year. During the past four years, 16 people have reported being bitten. Most incidents involved suspected feeding of wildlife or the presence of a dog or dogs, which can make coyotes territorial.
The study, to be funded by the U. S. Department of Agriculture National Wildlife Research Center, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the City and County of Broomfield, Jefferson County, and the City of Lakewood, will focus on Adams, Broomfield, and Jefferson Counties. An additional rural area will be selected in the future to provide some comparison data.
For more information, read Coyote Study underway in Denver Metro Area. Visit Living With Wildlife in Coyote Country for a better understanding of coyotes, their habitat, and how humans can coexist with these adaptable and "cunning" animals.
Being Coyote Wise from Colorado Parks & Wildlife on Vimeo.