March 28, 2024

Can Cats and Coyote Co-Exist? Surprising Findings From Suburban Los Angeles

Credit: Rebecca N. Davenport, Center for Urban Resilience, Loyola Marymount University.
For the research study, the researchers installed 20 motion-sensor electronic cameras in Culver City parks, communities, and green spaces to monitor the existence of cats and coyotes for 6 months. Rather, cats in Culver City were present in the exact same green space pieces as coyotes. Furthermore, felines in this Los Angeles suburb displayed more nocturnal behavior than is common for city felines.
Credit: Rebecca N. Davenport, Center for Urban Resilience, Loyola Marymount University.
On the contrary, as this research study recommends that coyotes tend to stick to natural locations around the city. Urban green spaces consist of plenty of alternative victim sources for coyotes, such as cottontail bunnies.
Credit: Rebecca N. Davenport, Center for Urban Resilience, Loyola Marymount University.
Provided that coyotes are perceived as a source of conflict in urban locations, countless management efforts focus on the control or obliteration of “problem” coyotes. The authors acknowledge that coyotes are native to these environments, while domestic cats have actually been extensively introduced to urban and rural locations across the United States.
Reference: “Spatiotemporal relationships of coyotes and free-ranging domestic felines as signs of conflict in Culver City, California” 7 October 2022, PeerJ– Life and Environment.DOI: 10.7717/ peerj.14169.
The CURes team has actually been studying metropolitan coyotes in Culver City for three years and is currently preparing further analyses.

Credit: Rebecca N. Davenport, Center for Urban Resilience, Loyola Marymount University
New research discovers that coyotes and cats both utilize green areas in a Los Angeles suburban area.
Human-wildlife conflict tends to increase as city areas continue to intrude on natural ecosystems. While some animals actively shun human contact at all expenses, other types flourish in urbane environments. In specific, coyotes have actually ended up being regular visitors near human settlements, and are typically considered a significant source of human-wildlife dispute. These city predators have actually adjusted to take in a variety of human food sources, such as trash, decorative fruits, and domestic pets. Because of this, city dwellers frequently stress over the safety of their animals, particularly outdoor cats. Is it possible to lessen conflict between these 2 species in a metropolitan setting?
Credit: Rebecca N. Davenport, Center for Urban Resilience, Loyola Marymount University
According to numerous research studies throughout the United States, from Seattle to New York, felines comprise less than 5% of coyote diet. So, why do diet plan studies in Los Angeles expose that cats comprise nearly 20% of coyote diet plan? Locals in Culver City, a residential area of Los Angeles, reported that 72 felines were killed in 18 months, thought to be the victims of coyote attacks. The first glance into this abnormality may be offed by a recent research study performed by Rebecca Davenport and associates from the Center for Urban Resistance (CURes) at Loyola Marymount University The study, “Spatiotemporal relationships of coyotes and free-ranging domestic cats as indications of dispute in Culver City, California,” was released this month in the peer-reviewed, scientific journal PeerJ– Life and Environment.

The research study, “Spatiotemporal relationships of coyotes and free-ranging domestic felines as indications of conflict in Culver City, California,” was published this month in the peer-reviewed, scientific journal PeerJ– Life and Environment.

For the study, the researchers set up 20 motion-sensor cams in Culver City parks, communities, and green areas to keep an eye on the presence of felines and coyotes for 6 months. Additionally, cats in this Los Angeles suburban area displayed more nocturnal behavior than is normal for city cats. Provided that coyotes are perceived as a source of conflict in metropolitan locations, numerous management efforts focus on the control or eradication of “issue” coyotes. The authors acknowledge that coyotes are native to these environments, while domestic cats have been widely presented to rural and metropolitan locations across the United States.