Coyotes are wild canids found across North America, from Canada to Central America. They inhabit diverse environments, including forests, grasslands, deserts, mountains, and increasingly, suburban and urban areas. While direct attacks on humans are rare, understanding coyote behavior and safe coexistence is important.
Understanding Coyote Behavior
Coyotes generally exhibit a natural wariness towards humans, often fleeing at the sight of people. They thrive in diverse environments, including urban landscapes, where they have learned to navigate human activity. While often nocturnal in urban settings, they can be seen during daylight hours, especially at dawn and dusk.
Their primary motivations are securing food, defending territory, and protecting den sites and young. Coyotes are opportunistic omnivores, feeding on rodents, rabbits, insects, fruits, and vegetables. They readily take advantage of accessible food sources like unsecured garbage, outdoor pet food, and fallen fruit. This can lead to habituation, where their natural fear of humans diminishes, increasing the likelihood of interactions.
Rarity and Circumstances of Attacks
Coyote attacks on humans are rare. A study from 1977 to 2015 documented 367 attacks in the U.S. and Canada, averaging about 10 incidents per year. Most incidents involve minor injuries like scratches or bites; serious injuries are less common, and fatalities are exceptionally rare. Children, especially those aged 10 and under, are disproportionately affected due to their smaller size and limited ability to defend themselves.
Attacks most often occur when coyotes are habituated to human presence, particularly through feeding. This causes them to associate humans with food, eroding their natural wariness. Other situations include a coyote protecting its young or den site, especially during pupping season (typically April and May), or when an animal is suffering from rabies or other illnesses. Conflicts involving pets, where a coyote may view a domestic dog as a territorial threat or prey, can sometimes lead to human involvement if an individual intervenes.
Preventing Encounters
Minimizing negative coyote encounters involves removing attractants and reinforcing their natural aversion to humans. Securing all food waste in tightly closed, tip-proof containers and taking trash out on the morning of pickup, not the night before. Never intentionally feed coyotes or other wildlife, as this contributes to habituation and bolder behavior.
Supervise pets, especially small dogs and cats, as coyotes may view them as prey. Keeping pets indoors at night and ensuring outdoor pet food is not left out are effective measures. Removing attractants from yards, such as fallen fruit and bird feeder spillover that attracts rodents, also helps. If a coyote appears in a yard, hazing—making loud noises, waving arms, or throwing objects toward (but not at) the coyote—can reinforce their fear of humans.
Responding to a Coyote Encounter
If a coyote is encountered and appears unafraid or approaches, it is important to take specific steps to deter it. Do not run, as this can trigger a coyote’s natural chase instinct. Instead, make oneself appear as large and imposing as possible by waving arms overhead and shouting in a loud, authoritative voice. Making loud noises with a whistle or air horn, or by banging objects together, can also be effective.
Throwing small objects like sticks or rocks towards the coyote, aiming to scare rather than injure, can help reinforce the message to leave. Maintain eye contact and slowly back away from the animal, ensuring it has a clear escape route. If a coyote exhibits aggressive behavior, such as growling, stalking, or lunging, or if it bites a human, it should be reported immediately to local animal control or police authorities.