Coyotes, highly adaptable canids, have expanded their presence across North America, thriving in diverse environments from rural landscapes to urban areas. Their widespread distribution often leads to public concern regarding their potential danger to humans. Understanding the actual risks requires examining their natural behaviors and how human activities influence these interactions.
Understanding Coyote Behavior and Habituation
Coyotes exhibit remarkable intelligence and adaptability, allowing them to flourish in various habitats, including human-dominated urban and suburban settings. They are naturally shy and generally avoid human contact, often becoming more nocturnal in urban areas to reduce interactions. This innate wariness is a key aspect of their survival in proximity to people.
A significant factor influencing coyote behavior around humans is habituation, which describes an animal’s decreased responsiveness to repeated human presence or stimuli. This process can occur when coyotes learn that humans do not pose a threat, or even that human areas provide reliable food sources. Habituation can lead coyotes to lose their natural fear, becoming bolder and more visible during daylight hours.
When coyotes become accustomed to human presence, often due to accessible attractants like pet food or garbage, their behavior can change. This habituation, particularly when coupled with intentional or unintentional feeding, can lead coyotes to associate humans with food. This alteration in behavior is a primary driver of increased boldness and can heighten the potential for conflicts.
Assessing the Risk of Attacks
Coyote attacks on humans are rare events. While their presence in urban areas has increased, the actual risk they pose to human populations remains low. Studies indicate that most human-coyote incidents could be mitigated through changes in human behavior.
When attacks do occur, they are infrequent and rarely result in serious injury. For instance, 142 reported coyote attack incidents occurred in the U.S. and Canada between 1960 and 2006, resulting in 159 victims. Of these, predatory attacks constituted about 37% of cases. Over a longer period, from 1977 to 2015, 367 attacks were documented.
Specific circumstances contribute to these rare attacks. Rabid coyotes may exhibit aggressive behavior, though rabies in coyotes is uncommon. Signs of a rabid coyote include disorientation, unusual tameness, lethargy, or unprovoked aggression. Coyotes may also act defensively if they feel threatened or are protecting their dens and pups, particularly during breeding and pup-rearing seasons (March through August).
Another rare scenario involves coyotes habituated to humans, which might become bold enough to “test” people as potential prey. Such incidents are often linked to a lack of natural prey or reliance on human food sources. While children are sometimes victims in predatory attacks, a child is far more likely to be bitten by a domestic dog than a coyote. Provoked attacks, such as when a coyote is cornered or injured, can also occur.
Preventing Encounters and Reducing Risk
Minimizing negative interactions with coyotes involves proactive measures to reduce their attraction to human-populated areas. Eliminating accessible food sources is a primary step: secure garbage in locked receptacles, bring in pet food at night, and collect fallen fruit from yards.
Supervising pets, particularly small dogs and cats, is important, as they can be seen as prey. Keep dogs on leashes during walks, especially at dawn and dusk, and ensure cats are kept indoors. Fencing can deter coyotes; recommendations often suggest fences over six feet tall, potentially with a roll bar across the top to prevent climbing.
Never intentionally feed coyotes, as this directly contributes to habituation and can lead to aggressive behavior. Hazing non-aggressive coyotes helps reinforce their natural fear of humans. This involves making yourself appear large and making loud noises, such as yelling, waving your arms, or using noisemakers. Throwing small objects towards the coyote, like sticks or rocks, can also be effective without causing harm. Motion-activated lights and sprinklers can also act as deterrents.
Responding to a Coyote Encounter
If a coyote is sighted at a distance, maintain awareness and give the animal space. If a coyote approaches or appears overly bold, direct action is recommended to reinforce its natural wariness. Avoid running, as this can trigger a coyote’s chase instinct. Instead, stand your ground and maintain eye contact.
Make yourself appear as large as possible by waving your arms overhead or opening a jacket. Make loud, authoritative noises by yelling, stomping your feet, or using a whistle or air horn. If the coyote does not retreat, increase the intensity of your hazing, potentially throwing small objects near it or spraying it with water if a hose is available.
Slowly back away from the coyote, continuing to make noise and appear large until the animal leaves the area. If the coyote persists or exhibits aggressive behaviors such as growling, snarling, or lunging, report these incidents immediately to local animal control or wildlife authorities. This is especially important for coyotes that seem sick or injured, as they may behave unpredictably.