But what are they doing in Dallas in the first place? Here\u2019s what to know about how coyotes are managing to survive \u2014 and why they\u2019re here to stay.<\/p>\n
Breaking News<\/p>\n
By signing up, you agree to our\u00a0Terms of Service<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n Moving into the neighborhood<\/p>\n Before the 1700s<\/a>, coyotes were largely confined to Mexico and parts of central North America. But over the next centuries, that changed as humans reshaped the landscape and eliminated predators like wolves, bears and cougars. The medium-size canines, weighing anywhere<\/a> from 20 to 40 pounds, moved in to fill the ecological gaps, pushing their turf beyond prairies and deserts to include forests and, eventually, urban areas. <\/p>\n A coyote moves from a creek after drinking at Trinity Park, Friday, July 20, 2018 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Paul Moseley\/Star-Telegram)<\/p>\n Paul Moseley \/ AP<\/p>\n Since the 1950s<\/a>, coyotes have expanded their geographic range by about 40%, roughly twice the rate of other North American carnivores. Today, they are found across the United States, including in major metropolitan areas from San Francisco<\/a> and Denver<\/a> to Chicago<\/a> and New York City<\/a>. Exactly how many urban coyotes live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area isn\u2019t known, but the population is likely substantial, said Rachel Richter<\/a>, an urban wildlife biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife. <\/p>\n A large part of why coyotes settle in urban areas comes down to their adaptability, said Scott Henke<\/a>, a professor of rangeland and wildlife sciences at Texas A&M University in Kingsville. <\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re a real good generalist,\u201d Henke said. \u201cThey can handle the heat, they can handle the cold. They\u2019re very adaptable for food, eating quite a variety of things, especially when you\u2019re looking at moving into a city with trash cans, people putting food out for their pets and such, there\u2019s lots of available food sources. \u2026 Once coyotes learn there\u2019s a consistent food source coming out in the same location, they\u2019re going to utilize it.\u201d <\/p>\n That adaptability may be reflected in their behavior. A 2019 study<\/a> found that coyotes living in urban areas tend to be bolder and more willing to explore new environments than their rural counterparts, traits that likely developed over time as they adjusted to living around people. <\/p>\n A coyote stops to look around as it walks near The Village apartment complex on Southwestern Boulevard and Caruth Haven Lane in Dallas, Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023.<\/p>\n El\u00edas Valverde II \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n Adaptability shapes what they eat. While urban coyotes consume many of the same foods as their rural counterparts \u2014 such as fruit and small prey like rabbits \u2014 they are highly opportunistic. A 2020 study<\/a> by the National Park Service and California State University Northridge looked at coyotes in Southern California and found urban coyotes consumed large amounts of human-related food, including garbage, ornamental fruits such as ficus, loquat and grapes, and even domestic cats. By contrast, suburban coyotes were more likely to vary their diets based on seasonal availability. <\/p>\n Here to stay<\/p>\n Coyotes are typically most active at dawn and dusk, but those living in cities often shift toward more nocturnal habits to avoid people, Richter said. Spotting a coyote at other times of the day is not necessarily cause for concern. Seasonal changes can make them more visible, particularly in the winter when vegetation dies and offers less cover.<\/p>\n \u201cIf it\u2019s really cold at night, that might make them more likely to be active during the day,\u201d Richter said. \u201cFood availability and then also their breeding season peaks around mid-February, so you\u2019re more likely to see them.\u201d<\/p>\n Their being active during the day can raise the chances of encounters, but coyote attacks are very rare, Richter and Henke said. These animals are generally skittish and wary of humans, but they can become emboldened when food is involved.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you have a coyote in your backyard at 2 p.m. every single day, to me, that indicates habituation, which means that they\u2019re losing their fear of people,\u201d Richter said. \u201cTypically, if you have a coyote that\u2019s becoming habituated, it is because there is some sort of food resource nearby.\u201d<\/p>\n Once a coyote develops aggressive behavior toward humans, the only option is to euthanize it \u2014 what is known as lethal control. In North Texas, past efforts to euthanize coyotes<\/a> have drawn criticism, with some residents questioning why the animals cannot be trapped and relocated. But under state law, Richter said, coyotes are classified as carriers for rabies, meaning trapping and relocating isn\u2019t possible.<\/p>\n A city of Dallas Animal Services officer installs a camera on a tree two doors down from where a 2-year-old was attacked by a coyote on Wednesday, May 4, 2022, in Dallas, Texas.<\/p>\n Rebecca Slezak \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n But euthanizing an aggressive coyote can have ecological consequences. Removing one animal creates a territorial vacuum, leaving space for another coyote to move in. That coyote may become aggressive if the underlying issue around food isn\u2019t addressed. <\/p>\n \u201cIt really has to be like a community-wide effort,\u201d Richter said. \u201cBecause if you\u2019re doing everything you can to deter the coyotes from your yard, but like three houses down you have someone who\u2019s handing out hot dogs to coyotes, the coyotes are still going to come and hang out. So it\u2019s important to get everyone on the same page.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/R2USFC3ELBAEZHKCJDLJQMKT7I.JPG\")
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