Darren Julian—Urban Wildlife Specialist Officer Lainie Antolik—Wildlife Manager AZ Game & Fish Department Region VI (480) Sun City September 18, 2014

Living with Arizona’s Wildlife  Overview of Common Urban Wildlife with emphasis on Coyotes –Needs of Wildlife –Why they are in your neighborhood  Human-Wildlife Conflict Resolution –Eliminating attractants –Changing Human Behavior –Cooperative Effort and Taking Responsibility

Wildlife in the City  Development temporarily displaces neighboring populations –Emigration  The oasis we have created for ourselves suits them too –Immigration  Life is easier in your neighborhood than in the desert –Higher concentrations of some species in urban areas

Wildlife Attractants  Habitat = Food, Water, Cover or Shelter, Space and Arrangement of these components –Golf courses provide most of these on their own  Water sources, pools, bird baths etc.  Pet food and small pets that are left unsupervised  Low brush for hiding cover near a hunting area  Bird feeders and bird seed  ACCESS to these areas without harassment – key component

Common Urban Wildlife  Coyotes  Javelina  Bobcats  Foxes  Skunks  Raccoons  Mountain lions  Rabbits  Quail  Rodents  Deer  Birds  Hawks & Falcons  Owls

Urban Coyotes Today, the focus is on urban coyotes, but a lot of the information and messages can be applied to other urban wildlife. For more information visit

Urban Coyotes  Coyote Jay Walking  Coyote Looking for a parking spot This construction traffic is a nightmare!

Basic Coyote Biology Coyote Vital Statistics  Weight: lbs.  Length with tail: 40-50"  Shoulder Height: 15-20"  Sexual Maturity: 1-2 years  Mating Season: Jan-March  Gestation Period: days  No. of Young: 2-12, 6 avg.  Birth Interval: 1 year  Lifespan: 7-10 years (in the wild)  Typical diet: Small mammals and birds (80%), insects, reptiles, fruit, carrion, garbage, bird seed, pet food and small pets  When coyotes are trapped and removed from an area, it causes a breakdown in the animal's social structure and can cause more coyotes to breed and their territory to expand

Basic Coyote Biology Curious Coyote Facts  Only 5-20% of coyote pups survive their first year  Coyotes can run at almost 40 mph and jump over a 8' fence  Coyotes can breed with domestic dogs  Coyotes are naturally afraid of humans - more afraid of you than vice- versa

Other Coyote Facts  Highly adaptable & opportunistic predatory animal  Intelligent animal – easily trained (conditioning)  Naturally fearful of Humans  Fear lost in stages over time –Removed by proximity indifference –Tolerance –Feeding (active or inadvertent) Not naturally aggressive toward larger opponents

Why Do Coyotes seem to be increasing in number?  Abundance of prey species and abundance of other food sources  Acceptance of their presence encourages closer contact –Without discouragement, coyotes begin to include back yards, porches and other areas as part of their home range Same number of coyotes seen more often

Sun City, Arizona

Presence of Coyote Packs  Coyotes are a highly social animal  Packs are made up of non-breeding offspring from this year and last year  This social structure is for defense of food and territory  Pack formation and size is determined by the available food sources; more food means less competition and less likelihood of dispersal

Problems associated with Urban Coyotes Disease concerns –Mange –Distemper –Other common canine diseases –Vaccinated pets are not at risk

Problems associated with Urban Coyotes  Cat Concerns  Small Dog Concerns

Solutions Keeping Cats Safe

Solutions Disguise our pets?

Solutions Bigger Cats?

Cats and Small Dogs Safety No substitution for supervision The more time pets are left unattended, the higher the likelihood that a predator will take advantage of these opportunities

Walking Your Dog  Keep dogs on a leash  Be aware of your surroundings  Buddy system, walk in groups, assist others  Carry a walking stick  If you encounter a coyote: –Do not run –Pick up small dogs, keep big dogs close –Be aggressive, use aggressive postures and movements, use low, loud tones –Use of chemical deterrents (more later)

Problems associated with Urban Coyotes Children’s (and adult) Safety

Children (and Adult Safety)  Children should be supervised  Coyotes consider adults too large to risk a confrontation  Domestic dog bites much more common than Coyote incidents: 5,000+ dog bites per year in Maricopa County 18 coyote incidents (bites and scratches) since ,000+ dog bites per year in Maricopa County 18 coyote incidents (bites and scratches) since 1997

Advocates of lethal Coyote Removal  Other removal methods  Trapping

Trapping and Relocating Why it doesn’t work  Disease transportation  New home VS. Home-Sweet-Home  Social intolerance – dominant pack wins  Stress related deaths  Largely ineffective

Advocates of Coyote Tolerance  kissing a coyote is always a bad idea!!!

Solutions Fixing the problem

Solutions – Short Term  Removal of Nuisance animals by licensed professionals (Wildlife Service Licensees)  Live trap on private property (or by permission of the owner)  Recommend that all adult coyotes be euthanized  List of license holders provided

Solutions – Short Term  Removal of non-responsive coyotes by AZGFD –Overt aggressive behavior (baring teeth and approaching humans) –Always lethal, effective for short term only (2-6 months)  Without human behavior and environmental changes, remaining coyotes and new “renters” will over time cause more conflicts

Solutions - Long Term  First and foremost—DO NOT FEED  Removing or altering of attractants –Clearing low brush, fallen fruits, bird feeders and surrounding areas, clean bbq grills, secure garbage, etc.  Discourage coyote presence –Community wide effort (shaker can rattler, pots and pans, rocks, pepper spray, diluted ammonia, etc.) –No more indifference or tolerance—active hazing of coyotes, anytime and anywhere  Restricting Access –Coyote Roller, electric fencing, ammonia soaked rags, etc.

ARS Unlawful Feeding of Wildlife A person commits unlawful feeding of wildlife by intentionally, knowingly or recklessly feeding, attracting or otherwise enticing wildlife into an area, with exceptions for birds or tree squirrels. Unlawful feeding is a petty offense. Applies in counties with a population greater than 280,000.

Bird Feeding  Issues –Bird Seed –Birds –Other animals  Acceptable Feeding  Deterrants

Getting everyone on the same page

Human Dimensions  Wildlife are simply reacting to their environment  Humans modify and enhance local environments (create opportunities for wildlife)  Humans dominate this environment  Human behavior is the only thing we can directly change  Modifying human behavior and habits will affect wildlife behavior  Resolution of conflict involves an active & united approach by the community

Our Message Successfully Living with Wildlife is a dynamic process that requires:  Increased knowledge and awareness  Taking responsibility when creating opportunities for wildlife  Responsible citizens and communities to assist with resolution  Cooperation and support; Everyone on the “Same Page!” We’re not saying “just live with it!”

Living with Wildlife!

AZ Game & Fish Dept  $0 from State General Fund (tax revenue)  Self-sustained Agency generating revenue mainly from Hunting/Fishing licenses and tags  Region VI has the highest population density—4 million people in Maricopa County  AGFD doesn’t have the manpower to respond to every human-wildlife conflict

AZ Game & Fish Dept  West Valley: 1 Officer & 1 Urban WL Specialist (entire region)  Other responsibilities: Law enforcement, WL Management, Watercraft and OHV Patrols, Habitat Projects, etc. all in 40-hr week  Triage calls and respond when public health or safety is an issue  Most calls only require simple information transfer

Messages for All  A fed coyote is a dead coyote  If you hate them – be rude to them  If you love them – be rude to them  Be an active participant  Spread the word to all residents

Wildlife in neighborhoods …..and you think you have problems!!!!!

Questions?