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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSealBeachTalk_Coyotes PresentationReducing conflict between coyotes and humans and pets Dr. Ted Stankowich Professor of Biological Sciences Director of Mammal Lab •Pervasive in every major metropolitan area of North America •“Wild” vs Urbanized coyotes •Focus on how coyotes perceive and learn about natural prey and use this knowledge to reduce conflict with humans and pets Our Approach •Wildlife monitoring •Behavioral studies of captive and wild coyotes •Behavioral studies of prey behavior 26 Wildlife Monitoring Stations have been installed in Orange County Anaheim Orange Garden Grove Silverado Human food items in 14% of scats Cat remains in 14% of scats (other urban areas find 1-7%) Rita Collins M.S. 2018 •How does the interaction of warning coloration and noxious scent influence predator behavior? Coyote Behavior toward Prey Models Holly Schiefelbein ‘16 Coyote Learning about Skunks •Do predators have an innate phobia of warning colors or must they learn to avoid them via negative experiences? •Conditioned to attack brown prey •Trained to avoid spraying skunk model •Tested for Generalization across patterns Caitlin Fay M.S. ‘16 •How do contrast and pattern structure influence coyotes’ willingness to approach “skunks”? Kathy Vo M.S. 2021 Using aversive learning to reduce human-wildlife conflict: coyotes vs. domestic cats Coyote-Pet Survey & Outreach •Anonymous survey asking about pet experiences with coyotes •1,874 responses collected for analysis •How do cat and dog breed, size, coloration, and time spent outdoors influence the risk of more intense negative interactions with coyotes? •Cats that spend more time outdoors have more negative interactions with coyotes. No effect in dogs. •Smaller dogs are at higher risk of negative interactions with coyotes. •Dogs with more contrasting colored fur have fewer negative interactions with coyotes. Coyotes in California •Mating Jan-March (greater aggression towards larger dogs) •Young born March-May •1 litter/yr •Avg 5-6 pups, Range 1-11 pups •Feed on their own at 5-7 weeks •Leave parents at 6-9 months •Pairs remain together for years – social stability is good! Coyotes in California Natural Wild Diets Urban Diets Small Mammals (rabbits, rodents, squirrels) Small Mammals (rabbits, rodents, squirrels) Dead animals Garbage, Pet food Fruits (berries, apples)Domestic Pets Vegetation (grasses, seeds)Dead animals Birds Fruits (berries, apples) Insects Vegetation (grasses, seeds) Birds Insects Coyotes in Seal Beach •No formal estimates of coyote population size •Typical urban coyote densities range from 0.5 to 2.5 coyotes per square mile •Seal Beach = 13 square miles; >50% natural, undeveloped land •Best guess is 30-40 coyotes but that could vary seasonally •Coyotes don’t follow city boundaries Variation in Human Personality Boldness/Aggressiveness in Natural Wild Coyote Populations Most aggressive and not fearful of humans Normal (wild) fearful behavior of humans Coyote Boldness Coyotes willing to move into and live among humans in urban areas Boldness/Aggressiveness in Natural Wild Coyote Populations Coyote Boldness Human – Coyote Conflict •Normally elusive & avoid contact – wary of humans •Urban coyotes may show reduced fear of humans. •Abundant food in residential areas accelerates the process •If not harassed, may become more aggressive, taking pets more often and approaching pet owners. •The most aggressive “problem” animals may stalk or even attack children or pets being walked on leash •More than 160 attacks in CA since the 1970’s, 1 fatal •SoCal has higher rates of attacks than other areas Human – Coyote Conflict •Older studies and models show that 75% of coyotes must be killed annually to control numbers in isolated areas, and elimination would take decades. •Toxicants and poisons are restricted and will kill non-target species •Capture-relocation is not legal in CA •Widespread lethal extermination (especially of dominant pairs) often leads to a younger age structure. •Reduces competition •Increases litter size •So 2 – 1 = 4 •Doesn’t move the distribution curve of boldness •Unlikely to ever get rid of all coyotes in SB What CAN We Do? •Coyote proof fences are expensive. •Sounds, strobes, flagging can be effective in the short term, but coyotes will habituate. •Targeted removal of hyper-aggressive “problem” animals •Can re-instill fear in remaining population •Current best practice is an ACTIVE public program: •Negative Reinforcement: Encourage residents to haze all coyotes to re- instill fear. •Remove attractants: •Enforce removal of garbage, dense backyard vegetation, pet food, and fallen fruits. •Keep small pets indoors or in enclosed outdoor kennels. •Cite those that intentionally feed coyotes. Thank You!theodore.stankowich@csulb.edu Support our research: www.csulb.edu/supportmammallab Larger dogs are at lower risk of severe interactions with coyotes Dogs with more contrasting color patterns have less severe interactions with coyotes