Very smart, adaptable and cunning, coyotes have easily integrated themselves into rural and urban habitats across the Tar Heel State in recent decades
Mark Richards remembers when he saw his first coyote in Wilmington.
It was about five years ago, and he was taking an early morning jog through Forest Hills. As he approached Burnt Mill Creek, Richards saw some motion to his right.
“And then this coyote, a very healthy looking individual, came out of the brush and crossed the road just a few yards in front of me,” he said. “It saw me, but didn’t seem worried at all. Like me, just seemed out for an early morning stroll.”
The coyote then strolled along the creek bank for a few hundred feet before disappearing behind a bend.
“I’ve seen deer, opossums, raccoons, snakes, alligators, a couple deer, and even a beaver here in Wilmington,” Richards said. “But I have to admit I wasn’t expecting to see a coyote in my neighborhood.”
That the wild canines can live and even thrive in urban areas like Wilmington might seem surprising to some, but biologists say it’s a natural move to fill the requirement for a top land-based predator in the wild. And coyotes are among the smartest and − just like the cartoons taught us − wiliest animals out there, very resilient and very opportunistic when it comes to finding food.
“They are super adaptable and super elusive, so I think most people would be amazed how frequent they are in suburban and urban environments in the state,” said Dr. Michael Cove, research curator with the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences.
Have coyotes always been in N.C. and Wilmington?
According to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, coyotes generally first started appearing in the state in the early 1980s − first out west and then gradually making their way toward the coast..
While there isn’t a hard figure for how many coyotes there are in North Carolina, the population is considered to be very healthy, with the animals now found in all 100 N.C. counties.
Bald Head Island in Brunswick County recorded its first coyote sighting in 2007. But it wasn’t until 2018, when they started getting into the nests of endangered sea turtles after Hurricane Florence washed away protective anti-predation cages that the animals became a real problem, said Dr. Beth Darrow, science director with the Bald Head Island Conservancy.
In 2019 the coyotes figured out how to get around the cages, and 58 sea turtle nests were impacted and 12% of the island’s eggs were lost. That prompted the conservancy to adopt a different cage design and step up night patrols.
“They’re smart and extremely opportunistic when it comes to finding food,” Darrow said, adding that researchers believe the island is now home to about a dozen coyotes.
But don’t they prefer wilder places than suburbia to live?
In many cases, no.
Coyotes, bigger than a fox but smaller and leaner than a wolf, are very adaptable and opportunistic, and will gladly move to where food sources are plentiful. In built-up areas full of parks and lush gardens, that can mean a steady diet of rodents, rabbits and sometime small pets. As omnivores, they also won’t pass up munching on fruit or berries. Coyotes also aren’t above taking advantage of garbage, scavenging trash for food tidbits.
They also can become habituated to humans over time when they experience no negative consequences to interactions with people or when they learn to closely associate people and food through intentional or unintentional feeding.
“In many cases they basically adapt and become a little more brazen and brave and largely assimilate into our human environment without being seen,” said Cove, who studies coyotes.
What should someone do if they see a coyote?
First, spotting a coyote is harder than you think considering how common they are in the state.
“You might hear them more often than you see them,” Cove said.
But if you do come across one, biologists say the best think to do is keep a healthy distance from them and just observe. In most cases, coyotes will avoid people or quickly move off if approached. But that can change if the animal is sick or injured, feels threatened, or has pups nearby.
Cove said if the coyote doesn’t immediately move on, folks can stand tall, yell, jingle keys, or in general make a noisy fuss to get their attention.
“But you really don’t have to do much to startle them and scare them away,” he added. “They’re still timid and cryptic animals.”
Coyotes generally give birth in April and May, with the mother spending the next few months taking care of her pups − which is why sightings sometimes peak in early summer.
While they are often seen at night, Cove said coyotes, which can be found living both solitary and in family groups, can be active hunting or moving around dens during any time of day.
If I see a coyote, should I call animal control or law enforcement?
In general, no.
In a review of coyote attacks on humans from 1970-2015, researchers documented 367 attacks by non-rabid coyotes in the United States and Canada, two of which were fatal. In comparison, 4.5 million dog bites occur nationwide annually, with 800,000 requiring medical attention. In 2016, 31 dog bites resulted in fatalities.
Law enforcement, including state wildlife officials, also aren’t likely to intervene unless a coyote has attacked someone or is acting unusually or in a threatening manner, say suffering from rabies or canine distemper.
“Just because a coyote shows up in an area doesn’t mean something bad is going to happen,” said Chris Kent, a biologist with the wildlife commission who often talks to residents and farmers about living with coyotes.
What about nuisance coyotes?
According to the wildlife commission, coyotes can be hunted year-round. But in many communities, like Wilmington, discharging firearms is illegal. That means hiring a private trapper or professional wildlife control agent might be the best option for suburban and urban property owners.
But the commission warns that removing an individual coyote won’t remove the animals from that area, since prime coyote habitat won’t stay vacant for long. Coyotes also have been documented to have bigger litters when their numbers have been reduced by hunting or disease to refill the ranks.
“Eradicating coyotes from an area is not a practical or effective long-term solution,” the agency states on its website.
That means people, even in built-up areas, are going to have to learn to live with coyotes because they’ve certainly adapted well to living with humans.
“People should consider themselves lucky if they see one because it’s a pretty unique species,” Cove said. “Even as ubiquitous as they are across the country, they are still rare to see in the flesh, so it should be an exciting wildlife experience rather than a fearful sighting.”
Reporter Gareth McGrath can be reached at GMcGrath@Gannett.com or @GarethMcGrathSN on X/Twitter. This story was produced with financial support from the Green South Foundation and the Prentice Foundation. The USA TODAY Network maintains full editorial control of the work.
