Darren Julian—Urban Wildlife Specialist
Officer Lainie Antolik—Wildlife Manager
AZ Game & Fish Department
Region VI
(480)981-9400
www.AZGFD.gov
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
www.azgfd.gov/urbanwildlife
Urban Coyotes
This
construction
traffic is a
nightmare!
 Coyote Jay Walking
 Coyote Looking for a
parking spot
Basic Coyote Biology
Coyote Vital Statistics
 Weight: 15-30 lbs.
 Length with tail: 40-50"
 Shoulder Height: 15-20"
 Sexual Maturity: 1-2 years
 Mating Season: Jan-March
 Gestation Period: 58-65 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 viceversa
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
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
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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
1997
Advocates of lethal Coyote Removal
 Trapping
 Other removal methods
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 13-2927 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?
www.azgfd.gov/urbanwildlife