Episode 143 - Lesley Sampson and Lauren Van Patter on Co-existing With Urban Coyotes

Coyotes have expanded their range in the last century more so than any other mammal on the continent, and is still going. Highly adaptive, intelligent, “wily”, and resilient, Coyote is not going to stop just because our human made landscapes get in the way. In fact, Coyotes make the way for themselves within our constructed spaces, finding edges and cracks and turning them into home.

But how do we c0-exist with an animal that so many have feared, hunted and sought to destroy for so long? How can we share the urban environment with a predator? When animals re-occupy the urban in novel ways, or ways that humans didn’t intend, how do we make space for that?

Lesley Sampson of Coyote Watch Canada, and animal geographer Lauren Van Patter take the time to share some of their experiences with Coyotes in urban environments, and share about how they are looking to help communities learn how to coexist with these wonderful animals.

Coyote Watch Canada

Lauren Van Patter’s website

Advancing best practices for aversion conditioning (humane hazing) to mitigate human–coyote conflicts in urban areas - Lesley and Lauren’s paper from Human-Wildlife Interactions journal

"How coyotes and humans can learn to coexist in cities" ,  article by Lauren and Lesley featured at theconversation.com

The Anthropocene’s animal? Coywolves as feral cotravelers by Stephanie Rutherford

*Coyote image by Joanne Merner c/o Coyote Watch Canada