Coyotes Among Us Secrets of the City’s Top Predator

About this book

An eye-opening volume of research and photographs exploring one of North America's most persistent – and misunderstood – predators.

The coyote. Even its image conjures up more myth than fact. From its depictions as the "trickster" in ancient fables to its portrayal as a threat to humans and their pets in modern news sources, coyotes are rarely shown in a favourable light. Now, the Urban Coyote Research Project pulls back the curtain on the defamed coyote, revealing the surprising truth about this unique creature.

Though harassed and hunted for generations, today the coyote persists and even thrives. With an innate ability to adjust to new climates and environments, the coyote has developed an expansive range. Once confined to the American West, it now lives in forty-nine states, across lower Canada, throughout Mexico, and all the way to Costa Rica. Its habitat ranges from rural prairie to urban overpasses; it is the largest animal to regularly live wild within city limits. The coyote continues to overcome the ceaseless intrusion of urban development to create a bright and flourishing future, providing its human neighbours a surprising number of benefits.

With stunning images of coyotes within their surprising habitats, Coyotes Among Us draws from decades of experience to dispel coyote myths, highlight the benefits of living with coyotes, and embrace the coyote as a brilliant survivor against all odds.

Contents

Ch 1: Ghost Dogs of the City
Ch. 2: Studying Coyotes
Ch. 3: All About Coyotes
Ch. 4: Coyote Management
Ch. 5: Conclusion

Customer Reviews

Biography

Stanley D. Gehrt, PhD, is professor of wildlife ecology at The Ohio State University and chair of the Center for Wildlife Research at the Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation. His research program focuses on various aspects of mammalian ecology, especially urban systems; dynamics of wildlife disease; and human-carnivore conflicts. He is the principal investigator of one of the largest studies of coyotes to date: capturing and tracking more than 1,450 coyotes for the past twenty-two years in the Chicago area. His research has been featured in numerous print, radio, and television outlets, including PBS, ABC's Nightline, NBC Nightly News, National Geographic, and the History Channel. He lives in Columbus, Ohio.

Kerry Luft is executive vice president of the Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation in Dundee, Illinois. He previously spent nearly three decades in journalism, mostly at the Chicago Tribune, where he specialised in national and foreign news. He has written or edited five other books, including Wings Over Water, the companion book to the award-winning IMAX 3D film of the same name.