Hello and welcome to this week’s photo story. This week I’m sharing some images I got last year during an encounter with my most favourite animal: the coyote.
Coyotes are one of the most adaptable animals in Canada and they thrive in urban environments because they take advantage of human complacency. They eat our garbage, scavenge leftover pet food, and are attracted to our yards by mice and voles feeding on bird seed spilled from our feeders. They are taking advantage of our laziness.
Yellowknife has seen its fair share of coyotes and often people freak out whenever they see one even walking down an alley. Coyotes are smart and know where to find food, shelter, and the shortcuts to the best urban buffets. Coyotes will not eat your children. Coyotes will however hunt and eat anything that is easy prey. Small dogs and cats are the most likely targets since they are often left unattended and are similar to coyotes natural prey – mice, voles, rabbits, and grouse.
Coyotes are like humans and any other animal and will defend their young, their family pack, their food, and their territory. If they feel threatened they will act in very predictable ways and if you know what those are and can recognize those behaviours you can generally eliminate a potential confrontation.
This beauty was minding her own business having a morning snack at the organic food waste at the Yellowknife dump. She wasn’t bothering anyone, just snacking. She was a bit nervous aat first but I kept my distance and chatted with her and she seemed to tolerate me hanging about, at least for a little while.
I’m hoping to see her again sometime but coyotes are wile so any encounter is magic in my opinion.