More coyotes are venturing into urban areas, and I have recently received several emails about whether coyotes are dangerous to humans.
Although attacks on people are rare, they become increasingly common as coyotes are more frequently found in urban areas. Coyotes are wild animals, and there have been approximately 350 attacks on people since records began. Children are more at risk than adults due to their size.
If you want to know how dangerous coyotes can be to humans and how we can minimize their danger, please read on. I also wanted to provide some information on what to do if you encounter them in the wild.
Coyotes survive the winter through some great adaptations. Find out more here.
How Dangerous Are Coyotes To Humans?
Although coyotes rarely attack humans, they do happen and are becoming more frequent. Between 1976 and 2006, there were at least 160 attacks on adults and children. In the five years between 1998 and 2003, there were as many attacks as in the previous nine years between 1988 and 1997.
Due to the small size of coyotes compared to most adult humans, they rarely cause severe injuries to adults. Coyotes generally do not hunt in packs large enough to injure a full-grown adult seriously.
Because of a child’s size, many attacks have occurred on small children. There were 83 attacks between 1978 and 2018. Between 1978 and 2003, 35 attacks on children would have been likely severe or fatal if the child had not been rescued from the coyote attack.
There have been approximately 130 attacks on adults since records began in 1978, with very few serious injuries. Many of these attacks happened to pet owners where a coyote had attacked the dog. The owners then tried to defend their dog, causing the coyote to attack them.
Although these statistics show that coyote attacks happen, they are very uncommon in North America, with just over one a month.
Where Do Most Coyote Attacks Happen?
Most coyote attacks happen in California, although there have been attacks in New York, Colorado, Illinois, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Texas, and the rest of the U.S.
In Canada, most coyote attacks have occurred in British Colombia, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Alberta, Quebec, and New Brunswick.
Coyotes are now found across North America and have slowly expanded into urban and metropolitan areas. Although the public has expressed concern about this increasing interaction, we can see from the above statistics that the threat is negligible.
Do you know if coyotes can swim? Find out here
How To Minimize The Risk Of A Coyote Attack?
When walking pets, do not let them run loose
Many attacks on humans have happened while owners have protected their pets that have been attacked while off the leash.
Keeping your dog on a 6-foot leash protects them from any harm before you can get to them and yourself by attempting to get the pet back from the jaws of a wild coyote. A 6-foot leash gives the dog plenty of space to enjoy its walk while allowing you to keep an eye on them. Many people get bitten by coyotes when trying to rescue their pets.
Do you know where coyotes live? Find out in this article
Do not run from a coyote.
If you encounter a coyote, the worst decision you can make is to run away from it. They are prey animals and will likely see you as their next meal. Never run from a coyote.
The best way to deal with a coyote is to stand tall and scare it away. This can be done by stamping your feet, making loud noises, using a noise shaker, opening an umbrella, or even shouting at it. If the coyote runs away but then turns around and stands its ground, do the same thing until it eventually leaves.
Although this may seem unkind, a coyote that gets too bold around humans will likely cause trouble and may eventually be destroyed by the authorities. The coyote may be defending their den site if the month is between February and July. It may be better to back up in these months while keeping eye contact with them.
Do not feed coyotes
Coyotes that are fed lose their fear of humans and will get bolder around humans. A coyote, without fear, may see a human as prey.
Bird feeders can bring coyotes to the neighborhood. Although they will generally not eat bird food, they will eat other animals and birds they bring to the area. By keeping coyotes away from your land, you effectively keep larger predators away.
Garbage and pet food should also be kept away from the outside of the property to minimize the risk of bringing large animals and coyotes to the area.
Make sure to report any aggressive or unintimidated coyotes immediately
Most towns and cities have a procedure for residents to report coyote behavior. Urban coyotes should be reported to officials as soon as possible to ensure that there are no attacks that could have been avoided. The authorities should be notified immediately if a coyote shows signs of aggression, such as growling, snarling, lunging, or agitated barking.
Do you know what coyotes do in summer? Find out here
Have There Been Any Recorded Deaths From A Coyote Attack?
There have been two recorded instances in Canada and the United States of a coyote killing a lady. In 2009 in Nova Scotia, Canada, a 19-year-old woman was attacked by a coyote while hiking.
As this was a rare occurrence, experts initially believed that the coyotes might have been rabid or crossed with wolves. Another reason for the attack was that the coyote was being fed, or she disturbed a den with young coyotes.
Later that day, a warden on duty killed a female coyote that acted aggressively. Four other coyotes were killed, with three animals trapped within 1 km of the hiker’s trail. 5 km away, a 19kg (42 pounds) coyote was dead a few days later.
Forensic investigation of these five bodies showed blood on their coats and other evidence linking them to the hiker. The large coyote stood over the body when others found the hiker.
The only other confirmed killing was of a three-year-old girl from Glendale, California, in 1981. The young girl was in her driveway when the coyote struck and dragged her across the street. She was taken to the local medical center but died later from her wounds.
How do coyotes protect themselves from predators? Find out here
Are Coyotes Friendly To Humans?
A coyote named Cliff in Newport, Rhode Island, was made a celebrity by residents after walking around the town. The residents’ kindness had turned Cliff into a potential danger to the locals and tourists.
Neighbors had been feeding the coyote, encouraging him to live in the urban area. The coyote had lost all his fear of people and approached people in the streets. Although coyotes do generally not prefer human food, Cliff had worked out how to open a dumpster behind the local restaurant to get the leftover food.
Due to this, the residents of Middletown, Newport, decided that he needed to be removed from the population. The residents realized he had become an unpredictable threat as they understood that he could harm people.
Cliff was given his name after being caught near Newport’s Cliff Walk. Authorities moved the coyote to another part of Rhode Island, but it was unknown whether he would survive in the wild due to his interactions with humans.
Are Coyotes More Dangerous Than Wolves?
There have been two verified deaths from healthy wolves but many more unverified deaths. Wolves are more likely to shy away from encountering a person, but they can quickly kill if hungry.
Coyotes do not see humans as prey as they are too small to kill an adult. Thus, coyotes are not as dangerous as wolves, even though coyotes are common in suburban and rural areas. This places the coyote in more direct contact with humans than the wolf.
As coyotes see humans more, they do not get scared, whereas a wolf may attack when it gets worried.
Are Coyotes Dangerous To Dogs And Cats?
Coyotes are opportunistic and feed on small mammals, which are dangerous to domestic dogs and cats. Coyotes will not usually attack large dogs but have been known to. As well as bites that can hurt your pet, coyotes can also transmit infectious diseases.
Rabies is just one of many on the list, including parvovirus, hepatitis, and others.
How To Keep Your Dog Safe From Coyotes While Walking Them
- Keep your pet on a 6-foot leash. Please do not use a retractable leash, as they can stray out of sight.
- Coyotes are most active between sunset and sunrise, so try to walk your dog outside of these times.
- Do not let your dog enter the yard without supervision between sunset and sunrise.
- If you have to let your dog off the leash, make sure they have good recall and come back when you call them.
I hope that this information has given you more insight into coyotes. They are not overly dangerous to an adult human, but you must remember they are wild animals. With more and more sighted in suburban areas, the information above will hopefully keep you and your pets safe.
For more information on coyotes, I have written a complete guide, which you can find here.
Bryan Harding is a member of the American Society of Mammalogists and a member of the American Birding Association. Bryan is especially fond of mammals and has studied and worked with them around the world. Bryan serves as owner, writer, and publisher of North American Nature.