Urban Wildlife

Coyote Coexistence and Urban Wildlife Welfare

Coyotes have colonized virtually every major North American city, creating coexistence opportunities and welfare challenges.

Key Facts

Coyotes now live in every major North American city including Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
Urban coyotes typically live 2-3 years versus 10+ in rural areas due to vehicle mortality
Culling programs are ineffective at reducing coyote populations due to compensatory reproduction
Hazing programs that teach coyotes to avoid humans are more effective than lethal control
Coyote attacks on humans are extremely rare and almost always result from feeding or habituation

Welfare Considerations

Urban coyotes face a distinctive welfare landscape: abundant human-associated food sources balanced by high vehicle mortality and human-conflict risk. Lethal control programs kill individual coyotes without reducing population density, simply creating space for new individuals to fill. Community coexistence programs that teach residents to haze coyotes, secure food sources, and avoid habituation produce better long-term outcomes for both coyotes and communities.

What You Can Do

Never feed coyotes or leave food sources accessible
Support community coexistence education programs
Practice hazing to maintain coyote wariness of humans
Advocate for non-lethal coyote management policies
Drive carefully at dawn and dusk when coyotes are most active