Using predictors of public reporting and reducing attractant accessibility can support proactive management of human conflict with urban coyotes
Creators: Keller, Abby L.
Publisher: name: University of Alberta Library
Year: 2024

<p>Human-wildlife conflicts are increasing globally, prompting a need for efficient, proactive management strategies. Management can be supported by collecting information about human-wildlife conflicts from citizen-provided reports and by mitigating drivers of conflict, like wildlife access to anthropogenic sources of food. Coyotes (Canis latrans) commonly come into conflict with humans in urban areas across North America. In Edmonton (hereafter City), citizen-provided reports about coyotes often describe benign behaviours, reducing the efficiency with which City rangers can address reports that describe conflict-prone coyotes. Human-coyote conflicts are frequently driven by coyotes accessing anthropogenic foods, such as birdseed and compost, which negatively impact coyote health and promote food conditioning that leads to conflict. Birdseed is especially ubiquitous and appears to attract both coyotes and rodents, creating opportunities for the transmission of the zoonotic tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis, an emerging infectious disease for people in Alberta. In this thesis, we (a) explored the tendencies of the public to report benign vs. conflict-prone interactions with coyotes to the City (Chapter 2) and (b) investigated the presence in residential yards of coyotes and their prey beneath bird feeders that were (treatment) or not (control) fitted with seed hoops that were intended to reduce seed spillage below feeders (Chapter 3).<br>
In Chapter 2, we used questionnaire data collected by the City to build a path model exploring how a survey respondent’s anticipation of reporting a benign vs. a conflict-prone observation of a coyote varied with demographic, situational, experiential, and cognitive factors. We gathered this information to support an ongoing education campaign to increase the prevalence of actionable reports about human-coyote conflicts while reducing reports of benign coyote behaviour. Reporting conflict-prone coyotes was associated with lower risk perceptions about coyotes and more knowledge of the consequences of food conditioning in coyotes. Higher risk perceptions about coyotes were associated with more knowledge of the consequences of food conditioning, more severe interactions with coyotes, and less education. Those who had more severe interactions with coyotes were more likely to live on greenspaces. Our results suggest that educational messaging should increase knowledge of food conditioning in coyotes and reduce risk perceptions. Such messaging should be targeted where and when interactions with coyotes are more likely to occur, such as in neighbourhoods adjacent to natural areas, or be provided by 311 operators upon receipt of reports.<br>
In Chapter 3, we investigated the occurrence of coyotes and small rodent prey at spilled birdseed beneath bird feeders in 44 residential yards in Edmonton where we also characterized yard features and adjacent greenspaces. In each yard, we monitored coyote and rodent activity for three months using a trail camera and rodent track and hair tube placed near the feeder. We used a before-after control-impact (BACI) study design to test whether seed hoops effectively reduce coyote and prey attraction to bird feeders by adding hoops at half the sites halfway through the monitoring period. Coyotes, small rodents, and other wildlife visited bird feeders at most of our sites, but seed hoops did not significantly affect the detection of coyotes and rodents at feeders. Coyotes more often visited feeders that were located closer to greenspace edges and provided sunflower seeds. Our findings suggest that individuals who feed birds can deter coyotes by placing feeders as far as possible from greenspace edges or similar cover and offering foods that are less palatable to mammals.<br>
Taken together, the findings of this research help inform ways to improve the monitoring and management of human-coyote conflict through public education, leveraging data contained in citizen-provided reports, and reducing the potential for conflict by mitigating access to anthropogenic foods that may promote food conditioning and poor health in coyotes and the transmission of zoonotic diseases from coyotes and their prey.</p>