More Georgia coyote sightings doesn’t mean their population is increasing

A Decatur resident said that some coyotes were showing up just outside her backyard fence and she was concerned because her young grandchildren were coming to visit.

With so many reported sightings, it would appear that metro Atlanta’s coyote population is exploding. Understandably, that perception raises folks’ concerns about neighborhood safety and threats to pets.

Indeed, coyotes, which aren’t native to Georgia, have spread to all of the state’s 159 counties since they first showed up in the 1970s from the west and Midwest. They have readily adapted to both wild and urban environments — aided by an abundance of prey, few competitors, and an ability to reproduce and establish themselves in a variety of habitats.

Even so, there’s no proof of a coyote population boom in metro Atlanta, Chris Mowry, a Berry College biologist, said. As head of the Atlanta Coyote Project, he’s been keeping tabs on metro area coyotes for more than 15 years.

What most likely is happening, he said, is that security and doorbell cameras are in widespread use now, allowing people to see coyotes more often — especially at night. People share reports and videos of these sightings online, making it seem like there are more coyotes than before.

Actually, researchers say, metro Atlanta’s coyote population appears to be stable, neither increasing nor decreasing: Overall coyote numbers are holding steady as death rates and birth rates naturally balance out. Natural forces, such as disease and limited habitat, help keep their numbers in check. Also, car strikes and territorial conflicts with other coyotes help control numbers.

But there will be no getting rid of Atlanta’s coyotes altogether. A University of Georgia study last fall said that repeated human efforts — such as hunting and trapping — to eliminate or at least curb the coyote population have been futile. The wily animals rebound to previous numbers.

The small packs of coyotes being seen now are family units consisting of spring-born pups and their parents. In a few more weeks, the pups — now five or six months old — will begin leaving the packs to seek mates and territories of their own. They also will face the same survival problems as their parents.

But despite public concern over coyotes, the animals fill a beneficial niche. As top predators, they help keep populations of rodents and other wildlife pests in check. They also keep habitats healthy by removing diseased and dead creatures. “A healthy ecosystem needs top predators like coyotes,” Mowry said.

For more information on Atlanta’s coyotes and to report sightings, visit atlantacoyoteproject.org.

One other note about coyotes at this time of year: They’re not just meat-eaters; they love fruits and berries — especially persimmons. “If you have a persimmon tree, a coyote may pay you a visit when the fruit ripens in the fall,” Mowry said.

Pollinator census coming up

The Great Southeast Pollinator Census will be Aug. 21-22. To participate, choose a single blooming plant and count every time an insect lands on its flowers during a 15-minute period. For more information and to report results, visit gsepc.org.

IN THE SKY: From David Dundee, retired Tellus Science Museum astronomer: The moon will be first quarter on Thursday and full on Aug. 28. A partial lunar eclipse will occur on Aug. 27 beginning at 10:33 p.m. with maximum eclipse at 12:41 a.m. (Aug. 28). It will end at 1:52 a.m. Over the next two weeks, Mercury and Mars are low in the west just after sunset, but will move to low in the east just before sunrise. Venus is low in the west after sunset. Jupiter rises in the east just before midnight, but becomes hard to see by the end of the month. Saturn rises in the east around midnight and, later in the month, a few hours after dark.

Charles Seabrook can be reached at charles.seabrook@yahoo.com.