Coyotes as controversial canids

 If there is any animal more controversial than a coyote, I cannot think of it. I know people who would like to see them fully protected. I know others who believe they should be hunted relentlessly. Most folks, however, recognize that they play an important role in our ecosystem. Even those people, however, would prefer they remained a not-in-my-backyard sort of creature. It seems to me, that’s the way we humans have always viewed these canids. We want them to exist, just not too close to us. Coyotes, after all, are a perplexing animal. They don’t appear all that different from the dogs we love. Yet, they’d happily eat your puppy for breakfast, given half a chance. They harbour a healthy fear and respect for humans, but they’ve also been known to bite or show aggression. There have only been two documented fatal coyote attacks, but the thought of that possibility enters our heads too often when we hear them howl in the dark of night. Fortunately, the anomaly is not the animal. Perhaps, the truest thing you can say about coyotes is that they are the ultimate survivors. No matter what humanity throws at them, they adapt and thrive. When a subdivision encroaches upon their range, they find ways to make the most of the new opportunities. They’re now routinely seen in urban green spaces and hydro corridors. They’re commonly photographed trotting down suburban streets. They remain a regular fixture in Ontario’s farm belt. They are found in every city in the province. They’re at home in cottage country. Their range in Ontario extends north of Lake Superior. A coyote by any other name In Ontario, hunters frequently call these animals coywolves, suggesting they are a cross between wolves and coyotes. They are officially known as eastern coyotes, however. “Although easterns do have some wolf, and even domestic dog genetics in them, their DNA is overwhelmingly coyote.” Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) Fish and Wildlife Biologist Matthew Robbins said. “For this reason, it is largely inaccurate to refer to them as coywolves.” They are heavier than their western counterparts, weighing between 35 and 55 pounds. Mature males are typically largest though alpha females can rival them in size because they are atop the pecking order at mealtime. They breed in February with, on average, six to eight pups born in late April. They are omnivorous, opportunistic hunters. They’re