A recent alleged encounter with coyotes has prompted a naturalist to dispel a few myths about the canine.
According to news reports, authorities were called to the 22-acre farm at the northeast corner of Delano and Oakwood roads in Oxford Township where owners Dr. Bruce and Kallie Meyers, two horses fell victim to coyote aggression in January. One horse, a 27-year-old Argentine thoroughbred mare, had to be euthanized following the attack, while another, a 7-year-old thoroughbred mare, was severely injured on a gate hinge five days later while running out of fear due to the presence of coyotes, according to the couple.
‘Coyotes received some bad press recently following the situation in Oxford Township,? said Laurel Zoet, founder of Nature On The Go and naturalist who offers programs regarding nature and wildlife of Michigan and the Great Lakes region. ‘How can one animal be feared by some and revered by others??
At 7 p.m., March 18, Zoet will present ‘Coyote’Our Urban Adapter,? at the Brandon Township Library, 304 South St., Ortonville.
Utilizing data collected in recent big city studies, the one hour educational presentation will look at the history, the myths, and the facts about one of North America’s most highly adaptable animals.
‘I’ve been talking about coyotes for about eight years,? she said. ‘When I heard about the Oxford Township incident I decided to visit Oakland and Lapeer county schools and libraries to hopefully dispel some of the myths about coyotes.?
Coyotes are very well established in Michigan and in all 83 counties, added Zoet.
‘The coyotes are not going anywhere,? she added. ‘Coyotes range has now expanded all the way to Alaska and as far south as Panama. They started out being native to southwest United States’roaming the grassland and desert area. Then human development moved in and spread the coyotes out over even a greater area. Most coyotes will range from about one to three miles and patrol that area for food, it’s their territory.?
Zoet referred to the mesopredator release where a medium-sized predator, like a coyote, often increases in numbers when larger predators are eliminated from an area.
‘Consider the Upper Peninsula of Michigan or Northern Wisconsin’in that environment wolves push the coyotes out, which push the foxes out,? she said. ‘Someone has to be top dog in the woods. In the mid-Michigan area, an increase in the coyote population means a decline in the fox population. While the areas do overlap, they are very territorial.?
Access to food is a key factor in where the urban coyote hangs out, she added.
‘The primary coyote food are rodents’mice, moles, rats,? she said. ‘But the urban coyote’s menu is actually very open. When residents leave their garbage can out all night or feed the cat or dog outside’coyotes are not shy to be opportunistic feeders. They are really omnivores’they’ll eat just about anything.?
While coyote encounters are possible’domestic dogs can be much more dangerous.
‘There are one to three million dog bites each year in the United States,? she said. ‘It’s the fifth most common reason parents take children to the emergency room. The number of bites from a coyote each year are nowhere near that.?
More information, call Brandon Township Library, 248-627-1460.