Coyotes generally avoid humans, but the question of whether they can kill a person is a serious concern. While extremely rare, such events are possible. Understanding coyote behavior and taking precautions can reduce negative encounters, as their natural fear of humans can diminish.
Understanding Coyote Behavior
Coyotes are naturally wary of humans, preferring to avoid direct contact. They are adaptable, active day and night, and increasingly common in urban and suburban areas as their habitats overlap with human expansion. They are opportunistic foragers, seeking small prey and available food sources.
However, certain factors can alter this behavior, leading to increased boldness or aggression. Habituation, where coyotes frequently encounter humans without negative consequences, is a significant factor. This often results from intentional or unintentional feeding, like leaving pet food outdoors or unsecured trash, leading coyotes to associate humans with food.
Rabies, though uncommon, can also cause aggression. A rabid coyote may lose its natural fear, exhibiting unprovoked aggression, drooling, or disorientation. Coyotes also become aggressive if they perceive a threat to their den or pups, particularly during the breeding and pup-rearing season (March-August).
Documented Human Encounters
Coyote attacks on humans are uncommon, though incidents have been reported, with some showing an increasing trend, particularly in California. Historically, two confirmed fatal coyote attacks have been documented in North America. The first occurred in 1981 in Glendale, California, involving a three-year-old girl. The second fatality involved a 19-year-old woman in Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Canada, in 2009.
While fatalities are rare, non-fatal attacks are more frequent, often involving small children or pets. Children, especially toddlers, face a higher risk of serious injury, though adults are more frequently the overall victims. Common circumstances include habituated coyotes, the involvement of pets, or unsupervised children. For context, dog bite fatalities are significantly more common than those from coyotes.
Staying Safe Near Coyotes
Preventing coyote encounters involves managing food sources around homes. Securing trash in robust containers, avoiding outdoor pet feeding, and promptly cleaning up fallen fruit can reduce attractants. Supervising pets is important; keep cats indoors and dogs on a leash, particularly during dawn and dusk when coyotes are active, to minimize risk. Installing sturdy fencing at least six feet high, with a portion buried underground, can deter coyotes. Never intentionally feed coyotes, as this leads to habituation and increased boldness.
Should an encounter occur, remain calm. Do not run, as this can trigger a coyote’s chase instinct. Instead, engage in “hazing” techniques to re-instill their natural fear. This involves making yourself appear large by waving your arms, shouting loudly, and stomping your feet. Throwing objects near, but not directly at, the coyote can encourage them to leave.
Carrying deterrents like a whistle, air horn, or a squirt gun provides additional hazing options. Continue these actions until the coyote leaves, reinforcing that proximity to humans is undesirable. However, if a coyote appears cornered, injured, or is with pups, slowly back away while maintaining eye contact, rather than hazing.