This rant may offend you. This IS a rant. I’ve given you the option to bail now.
SO…
What’s it going to take to get people to respect the Wild?
Three people today came to me in a fit about increased coyote boldness and agression, and they all asked me the same thing: “Why?”
After some counter-questioning I discovered that one of them puts raw chicken out ”for the foxes”. Another “feeds” squirrels. Another lets her small dog off the leash and is upset that she may need to leash her dog “just because of those vicious coyotes”
ARRRRG! (That’s me growling, not the coyotes)
Wild animals only need your help in one way: to be LEFT ALONE. Taken to its ultimate conclusion we’d need to get into a discussion about habitat encroachment, but nobody wants to hear that they may have to share their neighborhood with the original inhabitants who have been there for CENTURIES. Noone wants to change what they’re doing-it’s got to be “get rid of the coyotes”.
I have no problem with eliminating dangerous animals from an area, if done properly with the proper considerations, and by the proper authorities. I DO have a problem with the attitude that this land is “OURS” and that coyotes need to be eliminated entirely. My problem is this: IT WON’T HAPPEN. Nature is not going to go away to make your life more convenient. Nature does not need to step aside for you. Nature won’t. Nature is a perfect machine and will follow the rules laid down by much greater powers than our own. Some of the rules, known in great detail through human history, are:
1. Everything in nature is an opportunist.
2. Wild animals are powerfully driven by instincts.
3. There is a wealth of knowledge easily available about all this because it DOES NOT CHANGE. Only our human IDEAS do.
4. It is easy to create an imbalance.
5. You will be left to deal with the imbalance you’ve created.
“Feed” the squirrels and they will proliferate. You’ll get a population explosion, which will lead to any of the following: disease, starvation and proliferation of natural and/or opportunistic predators. You have created an imbalance in the system, and you WILL have to deal with it. You can’t have it both ways. Nature is a perfect system and you will not be able to change that system by complaining.
Instead, you’ve got to change your own behavior.
We humans have a vast array of wonderful things that other animals don’t have, including power over our surroundings like no other species. This makes us responsible. If you are able to destroy it, you are able to make the decision whether or not to destroy it . You will then be faced with the consequences of your decision.
Coyotes are a fact of life. Because some of us have been so uniformed or ignored good information for the sake of some very misplaced compassion (i.e. arrogance) we are now dealing with an imbalance.
If I were a coyote I’d probably feel entitled, too. No one has attacked my kind in a long time around here. There’s good eats everywhere! Garbage, scraps left out for other scavangers, those other scavangers themselves, attracted by the scraps, are tasty and now plentiful! And don’t even get me started on Fluffy. That pet is tasty, defenseless and right out there in MY territory.
We have an imbalance, people. Created by US. WE must now take responsibility and change our behavior.
How to deal with coyotes…
The Broomfield Police Department routinely provides the following tips regarding coyotes:
• Always keep your pets on a leash when they are off of your property, as required by the Municipal Code, and do not allow them to roam.
• Never allow your pets to “play” with coyotes
• Do not leave your pet unattended in your yard – if you must leave your pet outside, secure it in a fully enclosed kennel
• Do not feed coyotes or leave food items accessible
• Keep your distance and do not approach
• Throw rocks or sticks to keep coyotes away
• Make yourself appear to be big and use a loud authoritative voice to keep coyotes away
AND…DO NOT FEED WILDLIFE.
Ok, that last one was mine.
Rant over. Thanks for your time.
