UF researchers help develop coyote plan
Coyotes are in all 67 Florida counites. (Courtesy of S. Coates, University of Florida)
State wildlife officials received a call late last week from a Gainesville-area resident about the same thing several Jacksonville residents have noticed recently -- a coyote.
Report coyote encounters
To report a coyote encounter, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission regional office nearest to you or call 888-404-3922. Karen Parker, spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said no one should really be surprised to see a coyote, no matter where they live. "We have coyotes are in all 67 counties, and they are here to stay," Parker said. "Educating the public is paramount. They are extremely adaptable animals that can live in rural, suburban and urban settings and do quite well."
Because the coyotes are everywhere, Parker said it should be no surprise that her agency receives sighting reports on a weekly basis, usually about "coyotes doing normal coyotes activities, like walking somewhere." FWC and University of Florida wildlife experts are working together to develop a management and procedural plan on how Floridians should react to coyotes."Right now we are formulating an education and outreach recommendation to present to the commission," Parker said.
Among those working on the project are Martin Main, a UF wildlife ecology and conservation professor who conducts research and outreach from an Immokalee office.Main said one of the biggest fears humans have about coyotes is that they may be bitten by one. "There have maybe been three (coyote) bites a year in North America," Main said.
In contrast, statistics compiled by www.dogsbite.org show domestic dogs are responsible for about 5 million attacks on Americans each year and an average of 1,000 people a day go to an emergency room for treatment of a dog bite. The organization also determined that 181 people in the U.S. were killed by domestic dogs between 2005 and 2010.
"There is no comparison in terms of the amount of risk associated with domestic dogs," Main said.
The primary reason coyotes bite appears to be the same reason some alligators bite humans, Main said.
"Some people will feed coyotes, either knowingly or unknowingly by leaving food or trash out," Main said. "It's a very poor idea to feed coyotes. It makes them lose their fear, and then they get aggravated when they don't get that marshmallow or whatever it is they have been getting."
Researchers have found that most adult coyotes weigh 25 to 35 pounds -- about the same size as a small to medium size dog.Coyotes have been known to survive on a diet of small animals, including domestic cats and dogs they find outside, according to Main.
"There are concerns about pets being killed," he said. "What we need to do is to learn to live with Florida wildlife instead of trying to eradicate everything we are uncomfortable around. If you don't like Florida wildlife, there are 49 other options."
Because the coyotes are everywhere, Parker said it should be no surprise that her agency receives sighting reports on a weekly basis, usually about "coyotes doing normal coyotes activities, like walking somewhere." FWC and University of Florida wildlife experts are working together to develop a management and procedural plan on how Floridians should react to coyotes."Right now we are formulating an education and outreach recommendation to present to the commission," Parker said.
Among those working on the project are Martin Main, a UF wildlife ecology and conservation professor who conducts research and outreach from an Immokalee office.Main said one of the biggest fears humans have about coyotes is that they may be bitten by one. "There have maybe been three (coyote) bites a year in North America," Main said.
In contrast, statistics compiled by www.dogsbite.org show domestic dogs are responsible for about 5 million attacks on Americans each year and an average of 1,000 people a day go to an emergency room for treatment of a dog bite. The organization also determined that 181 people in the U.S. were killed by domestic dogs between 2005 and 2010.
"There is no comparison in terms of the amount of risk associated with domestic dogs," Main said.
The primary reason coyotes bite appears to be the same reason some alligators bite humans, Main said.
"Some people will feed coyotes, either knowingly or unknowingly by leaving food or trash out," Main said. "It's a very poor idea to feed coyotes. It makes them lose their fear, and then they get aggravated when they don't get that marshmallow or whatever it is they have been getting."
Researchers have found that most adult coyotes weigh 25 to 35 pounds -- about the same size as a small to medium size dog.Coyotes have been known to survive on a diet of small animals, including domestic cats and dogs they find outside, according to Main.
"There are concerns about pets being killed," he said. "What we need to do is to learn to live with Florida wildlife instead of trying to eradicate everything we are uncomfortable around. If you don't like Florida wildlife, there are 49 other options."
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