coyote

[asenathwaite]

This creature wandered through our backyard a few days ago. It was unimpressed by my efforts to photograph it.

Comments

[cyprinella]

If you're on the east coast of the US, chances are pretty high they're in your city but really, really cryptic. They've been in my area (outside of Washington DC) for 20-30 years at this point but I never even heard them until the last couple of years.

[asenathwaite]

I hear them more often than I see them. They make very strange noises--it's like demonic shrieking and yowling in the dead of night.

[cyprinella]

Yeah, outside of the few months I had a trail cam up, I've actually seen coyotes twice. Definitely heard small packs more than that. I think the foxes when they're in heat are way creepier than the coyotes though. Coyotes sound more like dogs. Foxes sound like demon cat women screaming in rage.

[veritas_poet]

I'd be afraid if I saw one! The most wildlife (unless you want to count rats) I've seen in Chicago are raccoons and possums - both of which are cute, and MUCH BIGGER than I thought they'd be. That's what I get for only seeing critters on TV.

[asenathwaite]

Coyotes live in Chicago, even downtown, but they're nocturnal and very secretive. Here's an article from 2014 about them. I keep hearing that bobcats are going to be the next predator to colonize urban areas, but I've yet to see one.

[veritas_poet]

Thanks, that was interesting. I had no idea! I wouldn't mind seeing one. But... maybe from a distance.

[cyprinella]

Chicago is actually pretty famous for how sneaky and invisible their coyote population is! Lincoln Park Zoo has been doing a citizen science program for a few years now that has people count the animals collected by trail cam in various urban parks, cemeteries, etc, and coyotes are definitely there!