LB 5-34 - Human-Coyote Coexistence in the Wildland Urban Interface

Thursday, August 18, 2022

5:00 PM – 6:30 PM EDT

Located in: ESA Exhibit Hall

Presenting Author(s)

Andrea J. Salazar

Undergraduate Student
University of California Berkeley
Hayward, California, United States

Coauthor(s)

WM

William W. Merkle

Wildlife Ecologist
National Park Service (Golden Gate National Recreation Area), United States

Background/Question/Methods:

As the expansion of the wildland-urban interface persists, challenges for human-coyote coexistence arise. Coyotes (Canis latrans) are integral to ecosystem balance as they maintain populations of small rodents and other mesocarnivores. However, coyote populations are threatened by human-coyote interactions, which cause direct consequences (e.g. vehicle strike mortality) as well as indirect consequences that may lead to mortality events (e.g. food conditioning). This study examined coyote movement patterns on traditional Coast Miwok territory, now known as the Marin Headlands in Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Coyotes were humanely captured, tagged, and fitted with satellite GPS collars to determine a framework for reducing human-coyote encounters.

Results/Conclusions:

The original sample size was reduced from seven to four since three coyotes were killed by vehicular strikes. One adult female coyote, Red-Red (RR), frequently begged humans for food and was sometimes fed at a roadside pullout. Traffic devices were implemented to prevent people from approaching and feeding RR. Initial success was achieved as RR stopped frequenting the area. Following traffic device placement and reduced human interaction at the site, RR continued feeding and begging in new locations. This preliminary data continues to inform us about coyote movements and will subsequently allow for new human-coyote coexistence strategies to develop. Future work aims to further analyze the human dimensions in coyote management by integrating local Indigenous communities to promote collaborative stewardship.