Trump was fearmongering about the wrong kind of 'coyote' problem
Donald Trump confused many people in 2020 when he said during a presidential debate with Joe Biden that immigrant children are brought into the U.S. “by coyotes” crossing the southern border. He may have, accidentally, been onto a real domestic threat.
The then U.S. president had been asked by the moderator about immigrant children who were separated from their parents under the watchful eye of his administration. Instead of acknowledging the flaws in his policy, Trump simply tried to stir up fear in potential voters by claiming that human traffickers, who are often referred to as “coyotes,” brought the kids over from Mexico, which is why no one could locate their parents. Biden vehemently disagreed.
Rep. Dar'shun Kendrick (D-GA), who has represented House District 93 since she was first elected in 2010, was among those confused by Trump’s remark. She tweeted this note on the final debate in October 2020:
“Did @realDonaldTrump just say 545 kids they can't find their parents for came over through 'cartels and coyotes'?!’ How the hell does a coyote bring a whole human across the border?! Lord-----stop talking.”
Kendrick wasn’t the only one who was confused by the slang terminology used. It seems a lot of people thought Trump was referring not to human smugglers, but instead to the wild canine evolved from the wolf. The comment was even the subject of a USA Today fact check. Knowing Trump’s history of gaffes (some #covfefe, anyone?), this is hardly that surprising.
But what is unexpected is that Trump’s faux warning about the fox relative could have some truth buried deep within. Had the subject of his demagoguery been these wild animals, as opposed to Mexican immigrants and their helpers, he could have had something resembling a point.
Real Coyote Problem
This is not to say that literal coyotes are stealing children and bringing them across the U.S. border in droves and it needs our attention, but it is true that coyote attacks are getting more and more common as we encroach further into their territories. In fact, I was bitten by a wild coyote that was fighting my dog less than a month ago.
In my case, the coyote snuck through a fence and onto our five-acre homestead ranch. The coyote started stalking our horses and looking for a way to get to our goats, and my dog intercepted. I tried to help my dog, and was bitten by the coyote in the process. I had to get 28 total shots for rabies, tetanus, and more, and at least 12 of those shots were injected into the wounds themselves.
I am one of the very few people each year who are bitten by a coyote, but I live on a farm in the desert of Southern California, so it’s easier to write off the incident as something to be expected, as opposed to a growing issue that requires awareness. That being said, I’m not the only one who has recently come face-to-face with this typically elusive canine.
A Nationwide Pattern
For example, a possibly rabid coyote bit a college student at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York, earlier this month. And in Fairfield, Ohio, citizens are anxiously anticipating the city’s coyote management plan due to a rapidly increasing population that has caused small pets to be attacked and killed.
There is a similar pattern emerging in Iowa. In the city of Urbandale, citizens have reported a substantial increase in sightings of coyotes. And in Idaho, several coyotes have reportedly been chasing skiers at a winter resort, resulting in one woman being bitten.
All the way on the other side of the country, in Seattle, Washington, things are even worse. The Beacon Hill neighborhood is reportedly being terrorized by “urban coyotes” that are attacking locals’ dogs and even targeting children. There are also at least 100 coyotes in the city of San Francisco, California, where sightings and incidents of aggression have become more common since around 2002.
As it turns out, there are at least two reasons for these consistent issues with confrontational coyotes.
Mating Season
For starters, it’s worth noting that we are smack dab in the middle of coyote mating season, which typically runs from late January to early in March. The best thing to do when you see coyotes during mating season is to make yourself appear big and loud to scare them away, according to the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
“Seeing or hearing more coyotes lately? You’re not alone. Late January through early March is the mating season for coyotes and they become more active during this time. MassWildlife officials are reminding the public to take action to prevent conflicts with coyotes with these actionable tips.”
Not only are coyotes more active in their mating season, but male coyotes are actually known to be more aggressive during this time, according to a Fox affiliate in Connecticut. A historical review of coyote-human attack activity shows that the animals have typically targeted small children under the age of 10, but that adults are also bitten (including myself).
Several states, including Illinois and Kentucky, have issued warnings to residents about coyote mating season.
Urban Expansion
This time of the year is known for its excessive activity among coyote populations, but that isn’t the only reason bites and aggression incidents are becoming more common. In fact, in many areas of the U.S., coyotes are becoming more of a concern year after year.
The problem, however, doesn’t appear to be that coyotes are getting bolder and encroaching upon human territories. Instead, it seems as though human expansion further into suburban and rural areas has displaced the coyotes, forcing them to interact more with humans than they ever did before.
One study from USDA APHIS Wildlife Services and multiple public universities shows that, although coyote attacks on humans have been historically labeled as rare, there has been an increase in frequency over the years. The researchers concluded that new residential developments “are often near steep, brushy wildland areas,” especially in expanding neighborhoods in suburban Southern California.
“Coyotes inhabiting such wildlands are drawn into suburban landscaped environments that can support an abundance of rodents and rabbits, and where they can utilize water sources, pet food, household refuse, and even house cats and small dogs as prey,” the study says.
Do Not Feed the Wildlife
Those same researchers found that, while rural residents are more likely to harass and scare coyotes away from their properties, some people in suburban and urban regions don’t do that. This can lead coyotes to lose their fear of humans, and to come closer to human residences for the purpose of locating an easy meal.
The problem is made even worse when humans intentionally or unintentionally feed the coyotes, according to the authors of the research paper.
“In such situations, some coyotes have begun to act aggressively toward humans, chasing joggers and bicyclists, confronting people walking their dogs, and stalking small children,” the study says.
New Jersey’s Division of Fish and Wildlife reiterated this danger in response to coyote sightings in the city of Hoboken, which has a population of more than 60,000 people.
"Never feed a coyote. Deliberately feeding coyotes puts pets and other residents in the neighborhood at risk. Feeding pet cats and/or feral (wild) cats outdoors can attract coyotes. The coyotes feed on the pet food and also prey upon the cats. Put garbage in tightly closed containers that cannot be tipped over. Remove sources of water, especially in dry climates. Bring pets in at night,” the wildlife division said in a statement.
Despite Trump’s early warnings about the dangers of coyotes in America, this is a problem that isn’t just going to go away without some drastic changes in how humans interact with local wildlife.
And if you do encounter a coyote, first try to scare it away and then, if necessary, walk backward slowly until you have enough space. If the coyote is carrying a child across the border, however, that’s a different story.
Harvard University professor Avi LoebCourtesy Avi Loeb