The Coyotes as a species are native to both North and South America. They are pretty much a part of Native American folklore as many of their stories talk about coyotes, which shows that the species has been a staple in the America’s ecosystem for a long time. They have always been referred to as a clever beast in stories and in general.
Falling under the dog family, the Coyotes have survived quite a lot. They are still quite common in the Americas even with the drastic change in landscape in the region. Before North America was densely populated, coyotes would freely roam deserts and prairies, however, it is not uncommon to find them in towns and smaller cities or in forests and mountains.
Is the population endangered?
The ability of coyotes to adapt to changing landscapes has actually led to their population is at an all-time high at the moment. In North America, many states actually allow you to hunt coyotes to keep their population from growing. Coyotes can be dangerous and even though they tend to stay away from humans, they don’t mind attacking kids and babies since they know they can easily power them, eventually eating them.
Diet of coyotes
Coyotes don’t generally eat humans but are quite fond of meat. They eat pretty much anything they can find. They are good hunters and tend to hunt down rabbits, frogs, rodents, and smaller deer. They also eat fruits and insects, they aren’t very picky eaters. Coyotes can be a nuisance for farmers and ranchers. They tend to break in and kill livestock. They aren’t that easy to catch, you pretty much need to outwit them in order to catch them.
While wolves and other animals are starting to become endangered in the Americas, coyote population is striving. It has come to a point where hunting coyotes are promoted by many states. Most of the predators that hunt coyotes are not very common in the region like cougars. Coyotes like wolves also travel in packs and tend to look out for one another which makes them stronger. It doesn’t look like the population of coyotes will be endangered anytime soon, unless coyote hunting becomes a very common sport in North America.
As far as the interaction of coyotes with human goes, there hasn’t been many coyote attacks. As mentioned before, they tend to attack children but even those cases are limited. Coyotes being clever to know it is better if they stay away from human. They rather crafty plan ways to attack livestock at farms and ranches. They kill livestock in 100s of thousands each year, which is a huge problem. Therefore, it is important that their population is controlled, not to make them extinct but to curb the population so they don’t become too much of a pest.
