Attacks on Humans

Singer killed by Coyotes-mauled! , see story #3 below





Report #1
I also remember a coyote attack on a toddler taking place when I lived in Los Alamos. Many of the houses there border on mountainous, wooded open space. Even in the center of town, it was not uncommon to spot coyotes, but the houses near the mountains had coyotes as familiar neighbors. Apparently the coyote in question came into the backyard of this particular house and attacked the toddler who was playing in the fenced yard unattended. There was speculation that the coyote intended to eat the child, as most of his injuries were in the abdominal area. Our friend, who was a nurse in the town's hospital at the time, said the child's injuries were pretty gruesome and that he lost part of his intestines.-Jason, Los Alamos, New Mexico

report #2
My husband and I went coyote hunting several years ago near the mountains in Walden, Colorado. We were sitting on a hillside about 100 yards up the slope and began calling coyotes in to us with a rabbit call. It was about half an hour later that we saw our first coyote about 700-800 yards away. We continued to call with the rabbit call and the eeriest thing happened. From every hillside around us, we began to see coyotes moving in our direction. We counted over 15 coyotes approaching us from about 4 directions. The scary thing was instead of feeling like we were the hunters, we began to feel like we were the ones being hunted. It was the most amazing and eerie I have ever seen in the wild.-Rachel, hunter, Longmont, CO

Report #3-Fatal Attack
Toronto singer killed by Coyotes:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/717207--toronto-singer-killed-by-coyotes?bn=1
Taylor Mitchell, a 19-year-old Toronto singer whose debut album was released in March, has died in a Nova Scotia hospital after being mauled by coyotes in a Cape Breton park.
Mitchell was hiking Tuesday on the Skyline Trail in Cape Breton Highlands National Park when she was attacked by two coyotes. Another hiker, who was walking nearby, heard her cries for help and called 911.
Officers arrived about 3:15 p.m., and one of the coyotes fled into the bush. The other coyote was shot and limped away.
Mitchell was airlifted to a hospital in Halifax, where she died early Wednesday.

Other recorded Attacks on people: http://varmintal.com/attac.htm

Description
Coyotes are members of the canine family. In shape and size, the coyote is kind of like a medium-sized Collie, but its bushy, round tail is carried out below its back. These animals are found in deserts and valleys. When measured, they weigh about twenty pounds, less than half of the coyote's mountain kin, who weigh about fifty pounds. The higher the elevation, the darker, thicker, and longer the fur is, but the under parts are white. Some species have white-tipped tails. The tail is a threat. It becomes bushier and turns sideways when the coyote displays aggression. Their hearing is very good and is used for finding food and avoiding predators.The nose is very important as well. The coyote's sense of smell is very developed and helps it to smell carrion and the territories of other coyotes. Last, but not least, the feet have five digits and the coyotes only walk on their toes. That means they are digitigrades.
There are eight other species of Canis. There are jackals, gray wolves, red wolves, and all the domestic dogs.
Usually, coyotes dig their own den, but sometimes find a natural hole or a badger hole and make it bigger. The coyote tries to hide its den, but because of the path that leads away from the dens they are easy to find. These animals use the holes to give birth to their pups and to sleep. Coyotes do not hibernate during the winter like some animals do.
The scientific name for coyote means "Barking Dog." It is Canis latrans.
What do they eat?
Having the ability to eat anything it can chew, the coyote is a cunning hunter and an opportunistic scavenger. The coyote can run up to 40 mph, and combine its abilities with one or two others when they are running down their prey. Coyotes can eat insects, arachnids, rabbits, deer, big horn sheep, chickens, and sheep. They also may eat household pets such as cats and dogs.
Depredation, killing coyotes because they are harmful, has become common in ranching areas. Ranchers fear for their wildlife.Also, since the coyote's fur has become so valuable, man became their main predator. They are scared of us, because we are the dominant species. Also, another reason is that we can eat almost anything we want, including them.

Few coyote Facts

Coyotes are fast-learners. They share information with each other and can overcome fears quickly when they realize that something that looks or sounds dangerous actually isn't. They're also fiercely individualistic, so a technique that works on one coyote might not work on another.



For generations, coyotes were viewed as vermin — four-legged thieves that showed up in the night to steal livestock and howl eerily in the darkness. Coyotes remain the top culprit in predator-caused deaths — though far from the overall leading cause of death — among sheep and cattle.


More than 135,000 sheep valued at more than $10 million were killed by coyotes in the U.S. in 2004, the latest figures available from the National Agricultural Statistics Service. Coyotes killed about 97,000 in 2005, a loss estimated at $44 million, according to the "Coyotes just aren't that predictable," Shivik said. "That's what makes this so hard."
agency.