Denver CoyoteWatch

Coyotes are extremely adaptable and have colonized multiple urban environments over the latter half of the 20th century and into the 21st century. Several populations of coyotes are now self-sustaining and growing, and with it the instances of human encounters and various degrees of conflict have increased. Though certainly not all coyotes immediately create or instill conflict, approximately 3-5% of the population demonstrates problem behaviors (i.e. attack pets, injure people, etc.). Consequently, we want to know why this is: why do some coyotes act aggressively while others do not? What are the behavioral and biological triggers that result in the genesis of problem coyotes?

To find solutions to these questions, we need your help! This iNaturalist project provides you the opportunity to become an active and engaged member of our ever-growing research base. The National Wildlife Research Centers (NWRC) partnered with Colorado State University and various wildlife officials are engaged in a 3-5 year long project aimed at cataloging our Denver coyote population and refining early detection methods to better understand why problem behaviors arise. Thus, your participation through iNaturalist provides us a phenomenal opportunity to build creative solutions to mitigating problem behaviors of coyotes and foster healthy, collaborative relationships across Denver area neighborhoods with scientists, managers, and the public. Not to mention, this is a great way to learn more about our coyote population at hand, and what you as a resident can do to better understand coyote behavior. less ↑