A little while ago, I read the article about coyotes in our midst. I have ambiguous feelings towards the measures recommended to discourage coyotes: fruit tree and fruit removal, bird feeder removal, etc. We know coyotes will always be there, as we know they adapt. So, if they can survive near us, why not? We just have to be aware and be careful. Their lives are never easy, as we continue to destroy their habitat and food sources and even trap them for their fur and poison them. Their proximity adds another dimension to our lives, isolated as we can be from nature.
As pointed out, it is easy to skew the data against the coyote. It is up to non-partisan groups like Ontario Nature to question the validity of wildlife info interpretation… coyote scat near a carcass does not mean it killed the animal. Cameras definitely would tell the true story, disprove the negative hype, and steer farmers in the right direction for non lethal coexistence.
Media must do its part and not inflame the situation, with common conjecture and blame.
Irene Dolik, Toronto
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