Shelley Alexander holds a coyote skull. Her study reveals substantial levels of human food and garbage exist in the coyote diet.
/ Photo: Ken Bendiktsen
Urban coyotes getting
a bad rap
Calgary’s coyotes are largely eating a natural diet of small mammals and vegetation and play an important role in the urban ecosystem, according to a new study by University of Calgary researchers. Unfortunately, the study also reveals that substantial levels of human food and garbage exist in the coyote diet, which may be influencing human-coyote conflict.
A detailed examination of coyote scat found in the city’s parks between 2006 and 2007 also found only slightly more than one per cent contained the remains of domestic pets.
“While it’s clear that the coyotes will attack and consume cats and dogs, the incidence rate is very low and appears to be localized,” said Shelley Alexander, a geography associate professor who leads the research team.
“Small mammals such as shrews, voles and squirrels, along with various plants, berries and grasses make up the largest part of the coyote diet in Calgary,” said Alexander. “This underscores the role coyotes may be playing to help control the numbers of these small animals within the city.”
However, in 16 percent of the nearly 500 scat samples collected, researchers found garbage like plastic garbage bags, tissue paper, rope and foil.
“Scientists who study wild animals agree that higher levels of human-generated attractants like human food and garbage in the diet tends to lead to higher habituation,” said Alexander. “This lowers their fear of humans and raises the risk of aggressive behavior towards people. Coyotes are no exception.”
 Other urban food sources that appear attractive to coyotes include crabapples and bird seed.
Michael Quinn, an associate professor at the U of C’s Faculty of Environmental Design, collaborated with Alexander to examine public accounts of coyote encounters across Canada between 1998 and 2008. After reviewing thousands of media reports, the researchers found that in 10 years there were 24 events (approximately two per year) where humans were bitten by a coyote.
The study also found a considerable number of people perceived that coyotes posed a potential parasite and disease risk to pets and humans alike. As such, researchers have initiated a new study to determine what, if any, parasite infection risk exists in Calgary coyotes.
Drs. Alexander and Quinn are continuing to examine conflict reports, and are now developing an on-line tracking tool to monitor coyote interactions and help track animal behavior before it leads to a potentially serious event.
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June 25, 2009