One of the great things about blogging and Social Media is that it facilitates connecting people and organizations who share similar interests so easily. A couple months ago I was contacted regarding a photo of mine (Coyote Running) that struck a chord with a non-profit working in the area of wildlife conservation, specifically as it relates to Coyotes. After an email exchange or two I granted use of my image in a new presentation used for community outreach and education. I attended their presentation here in San Francisco and was so impressed I wanted to share more about the organization with those that read my blog. Camilla Fox, the executive director of Project Coyote, was kind enough to take part in the following email interview:
1. What is Project Coyote and what motivated you to found the organization?
I founded Project Coyote in 2008 to foster a new approach in the way coyotes and other predators are viewed and “managed” in the United States. We are a coalition of wildlife scientists and educators providing a voice for native carnivores in wildlife management policy and practice and promoting compassionate conservation and coexistence. We champion progressive management policies that reduce human coyote/predator conflict, support and contribute to innovative scientific research, and help foster respect for and understanding of North America’s native Song Dog.
Prior to founding Project Coyote, I worked in the fields of animal and environmental protection for the last twenty years serving as Executive Director for the Fur-Bearer Defenders and in various leadership positions with the Rainforest Action Network and the Animal Protection Institute. I saw a need to bridge these two movements and focus on predator protection – with coyotes as the iconic species that can help foster this collaborative bridge building. My father also studied and wrote extensively about wild canid ethology so I was surrounded by coyotes, foxes, wolves, and dogs growing up and have always had a deep love and appreciation for all things canid (the cats in my life also remind me that I am a felid lover as well!).
Coyotes, wolves, and other native carnivores are often the targets of unrelenting persecution- from traps, snares, poisons and other cruel and indiscriminate devices. As both species expand their range and urban sprawl encroaches into wildlife habitat, human-carnivore interactions are on the rise. Communities are often ill equipped to deal with the presence of native carnivores and conflicts arise when uninformed people intentionally or unintentionally feed wildlife. Moreover, wildlife agencies and local community governments are often cash and staff strapped, so that human-wildlife conflict resolution and public outreach are not priorities. Far too often the solution to carnivore conflicts — whether in agricultural or urban areas — is lethal and indiscriminate killing. Traditional control practices include trapping, snaring, poisoning, aerial shooting, and denning (killing of pups in the den).
Why Coyotes? The coyote (Canis latrans) is the most persecuted native carnivore in North America. It’s estimated that a half a million coyotes are killed every year in the U.S —one per minute—by federal, state and local governments and by private individuals. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services program kills approximately 90,000 coyotes each year. Most of this killing is carried out in the name of “livestock protection” as a taxpayer subsidy for private sheep and cattle ranchers. Despite scientific evidence suggesting that this approach is misguided and ultimately ineffective, the emphasis on lethal coyote control persists. Coyotes are also killed for their fur, for “sport,” and in “body-count” contests where prizes are awarded for killing the most and/or largest coyotes. Most states set no limit on the number of coyotes that may be killed, nor do they regulate the killing method.
2. What do people need to know about coyotes and the role they play in both urban and rural ecosystems?
While scientific research is bringing traditional coyote management into question, research is also revealing the ecological importance of coyotes. Studies conducted in the fragmented habitats of coastal southern California showed that the absence of coyotes and/or their removal allowed smaller predators such as foxes and feral cats to proliferate, leading to a sharp reduction in the number and diversity of native ground-nesting birds. Similar findings have found that coyote removal can negatively affect songbird and waterfowl diversity. Coyotes also help control Canada goose populations and white-tailed deer populations on the east coast. Hence, in areas where coyotes are the apex predator, their removal can precipitate an ecological chain reaction that leads to profound degradation of the health, integrity, and diversity of the ecosystem. Read more…
