Since I live in a thriving city with over 2,000,000 people I was amazed to see a coyote on my way to work one morning. There he was standing on the sidewalk. He was looking at a dog, and to me it appeared that he was contemplating if the chase would bring breakfast or if it would cost him his life. The dog was being walked by his owner, and other people were around. The first thing that is almost always mentioned by everyone who works with power animals is that Coyote means deception, or trickster. Yet I did not get that impression or feeling when I saw this lone coyote that morning. For me it was about survival and discerning which path would take him there. Coyotes are about adaptability, as was shown to me that morning. He did not look straggly or mal-nourished, a testament to being adaptable in whatever environment they choose to live in. Part of that probably comes from coyotes being an intelligent species that are able to figure out what needs to be done to survive. They can be cunning and will often run down their prey to exhaustion. When one coyote tires another takes its place, and eventually when their prey is exhausted another coyote is waiting to finish the kill. This relay assures success. Coyotes also eat roots, berries, and grass.
By Marlene Cobb www.nourishpublication.com
Being able to work together shows us humans a strong community bond. Coyotes are very much pack oriented, even if you see one alone, not too far off there are others. Typically coyotes run in pacts of 6. While I thought it was strange to see one in my neighborhood a little research turned up that there are an estimated 2000 3000 living in the Metro Vancouver area. Coyotes are seen as a good addition to the city as they help to keep the rodent population down. Typically they will not attack humans unless they have lost their fear of them. Coyotes are very vocal. Most people have heard its distinctive howl along with the coyote’s yips and yelps. Each of these sounds is their way of communicating with the rest of the pack. Be it a social gesture, like us saying hello, a warning to be on guard, or just a rousing playful game of chase. They are such social animals that their communications can also indicate loneliness, much (Continued on page 39)
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