Summer 2007 Newsletter
Top: When the 3 pups arrived.
Left: Loki, Jane & Alex outside.
Bottom: Artemis.
It is a lot of
hard
work making sure they are fed, played with, get their calcium, and
cleaning up their room multiple times a day; but it is well worth
it. They
love spending a few hours each day playing outside in the puppy
pen that we use to get them acclimated to living outside for their
future residence. They have grown so quickly in the past few
weeks, and it is interesting to watch all the different behaviors they
have while interacting with each other. Living here for the past year as an intern has always been interesting and educational, but the arrival of puppies has made my stay even more so. I learn something new every day with the observation of their behavior, and have gained a better understanding of how much work it takes to care for these amazing animals.
Their quirky ways are my main source of entertainment and I do not look forward to the time when they have to be outside permanently. In about one month, they will be ready for their new permanent enclosure, which will cost Indiana Coyote Rescue around $2,000. If anyone would like to help out with this it would be greatly appreciated both by us and the coyotes.
- Jami Hammer
Learning to Co-Exist with Coyotes Camilla H. Fox
Above & Below:
Wild Coyotes.
© Michael Carr
Above: Camilla and her pet dog Zaela.
© Christopher Papouchis
European settlers, however, viewed coyotes as a threat to livestock and as a competitor for game species, a view that unfortunately still persists in many areas of North America. As a result, the coyote remains the most persecuted native carnivore in the United States.
Coyotes typically weigh twenty to thirty pounds, are similar to a tan-colored Shepherd-type dog, and are able to crossbreed with dogs and wolves. Native to the grasslands and prairies of North America, coyotes have expanded their range threefold since the 1850s, largely in response to human alterations of the environment and the eradication of larger predators including wolves, cougars, and grizzly bears. At least nineteen sub-species of coyote now roam throughout North America, from California to Newfoundland, and from Alaska to Panama, occupying a broad range of habitats, from grasslands to deserts to eastern woodlands and boreal forests to agricultural lands and urban parks.
Coyotes occupy the biological niche between foxes and wolves and play an integral role in their environment by helping to maintain healthy ecosystems and species diversity. As opportunistic omnivores, coyotes feed on a wide variety of mammals, insects and fruit, though rodents are their main food source. Indeed, the success of coyotes is a testament to their ability to survive, and even thrive, on whatever food is available.
Coyotes generally fear people; however, those who associate humans with food may become habituated. Habituated coyotes now frequent suburban areas, taking advantage of abundant food, water, and shelter. Unsecured garbage, unfenced gardens, and unattended domestic animals become easy targets. Documented cases of coyotes biting humans, however, are rare and most often caused by humans feeding coyotes.
Historically, conflicts between humans and coyotes have been addressed through lethal means. Between 1916 and 2000, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services program (formerly Animal Damage Control) killed nearly six million coyotes, largely at taxpayers’ expense for the benefit of a small number of sheep and cattle ranchers.
In addition, hundreds of thousands of coyotes are killed each year for their fur, for "sport," and in "body-count" contests where prizes are awarded for killing the most coyotes. Most States in America have no laws regulating by what means, or how many coyotes may be killed, and some states still offer bounties to encourage coyote killing. Despite decades of systematic poisoning, trapping, and shooting campaigns aimed at eradicating coyote populations, there are more coyotes in North America today than ever before.
The coyote's remarkable success appears to be directly related to lethal attempts to reduce its populations. Years of intense persecution have selected for coyotes that are more adaptable, resilient, and wary of people. They have learned to spring traps without being caught, to avoid poison baits, to hide their dens from prying human eyes, and to hunt during times of little human activity. To further avoid humans, coyotes have become more active during the night.
Widespread attempts to control coyote populations have had little long-term impact because coyotes’ strong compensatory responses - such as increased litter size and pup survival - allow them to replenish their numbers and reoccupy vacated habitat. Further, while lethal control may produce a short-term reduction of coyotes in a particular area, the vacuum is soon filled by coyotes emigrating from surrounding areas and by shifts in neighboring packs.
Despite clear scientific evidence demonstrating the futility and counter productiveness of indiscriminate lethal coyote control, many state and federal wildlife managers continue to promote killing as the best method to address conflicts. An increasing number of scientists, however, have begun to speak out against lethal control. Their studies show that coyotes, and other large carnivores, play a vital ecological role and their removal can have a devastating impact on species diversity and the health and integrity of native ecosystems.
But scientific evidence is not enough. What is needed is a new paradigm for the way we treat native carnivores - indeed all wildlife - one that recognizes the ecological importance of these species as well as their intrinsic value as individuals. If the money and efforts used to kill coyotes, and other predators, were redirected toward cost-effective, non-lethal methods, such as public education, better landscape development, improved fencing, and guard animals, conflicts could be significantly reduced without the need to kill. Ultimately, it will be the public that pressures wildlife managers to make this ethical shift as communities across North America demand that wildlife conflicts be addressed with humane solutions that do not involve killing.
Camilla H. Fox is the Director of Wildlife Programs for the Animal Protection Institute, a national non-proft animal advocacy organization with headquarters in Sacramento, California. For more information about coyotes and predator protection and persecution, visit www.api4animals.org and www.BanCruelTraps.com
Original printing: Fox, C.H. March-April 2004. “God’s Dog: Learning to Co-Exist with Coyotes.” Wild Mountain Times. Asheville, North Carolina.
Top: Macho
Bottom: Pharaoh
Macho was within three weeks of being twenty years old before he passed away. He had a couple of mini strokes, but seemed to rally. One cold night in March, I brought him in the house to be sure he was warm. When I went to check on him the next morning, he was gone. He looked as if he just fell asleep and didn’t wake up. I miss him. He was a good coyote.
The red fox, Pharaoh has also died. He had to be humanely euthanized because of medical reasons. He was ten years old. He had always had seizures, but they were controlled with medication. However, the medication wasn’t working anymore. Dr. Wolf had increased it as much as he could. After some big seizures, Pharaoh's behaviour changed to being very aggresive and less aware of the world. We could not go into his enclosure to give him basic care. He would attack us. That was when the decision was made to euthanize. Pharaoh taught Dr Wolf, Jean Jacobs and Me a lot as far as medical info. went. He came to us as baby fox with a broken pelvis, broken jaw and seizures.
Thank you, Pharaoh.
| Macho
Poem
Majestically facing a backlit sunrise Approaching day with puppy bright eyes Cheating time for constant play Hoarding love from those he knew Oblivious to the absence of tomorrow Poems by Jami |
Pharaoh Poem Presenting himself with the air of nobility Happy to fence fight with his neighbor of white Allowing nothing to diminish his beauty Rarely seen without the presence of mischief Amber eyes bright with anticipation Opposing all who enter his domain Having eternity in the freedom of paradise |
Please email your letters to CeAnn at ceannicrc@yahoo.com
Address: 7975E 300S, Bringhurst IN 46913, USA
Phone: 765-566-3800
Website: www.coyoterescue.org
Gift Store: www.cafepress.com/coyoterescue
Email: ceannicrc@yahoo.com
Indiana Coyote Rescue Center Logo was designed by Nadia L. Beji
Newsletter text & photos © 2007 Indiana Coyote Rescue Center or respective authors