Following coyote's bite of girl in Colorado Springs, expert explains why the "opportunistic" animals thrive around people

Colorado communities are thinking about the presence of coyotes after an incident in Colorado Springs that left a 4-year-old girl hospitalized on Thanksgiving Day. Colorado Parks and Wildlife has been searching the area around Monument Creek and Interstate 25 in the Colorado Springs area with intention to kill and test coyotes found in that area. CPW says it's impossible to identify a singular coyote responsible.  

Coyotes build their dens and reside primarily in open space and natural areas, but they do hunt everywhere, including residential areas, according to The Denver Metro Area Coyote Study completed in 2017.

Mary Ann Bonnell, Director of Visitor Services and Natural Resources for JeffCo Open Space, was a co-principal investigator. The study found coyotes are doing quite well in urban areas even as the Front Range grows. They are in higher population densities in urban areas, largely due to the increased presence of rodents, rabbits and other food sources like fruits and vegetables and garbage.

"We also have improved habitat so I would imagine there's probably more coyotes now than there were before settlement," said Bonnell. "We actually created a utopia for coyotes ... Think about how many squirrels per square block are in the Denver metro area versus the short grass prairie where they have adapted to living."

One of the communities where there has been careful study through the years has been Broomfield.

"They don't just stay on the open space," said Kristan Pritz, Broomfield's director of Open Space and Trails. "They're also throughout the entire community. And that's why the education is important."

Coyotes are a common sight around town and there have been bites to humans.

"They are very opportunistic, and they are very smart creatures," said Pritz.

At times Broomfield closes trails due to coyote activity. In the next few months there will be denning and they will be more protective. People will sometimes see coyotes appearing to track them along their route.

"They may see a coyote off to the side just really just kind of escorting them, out of the area," she said.

Coyotes can be gently hazed effectively says Bonnell.

"We found that hazing is effective. So if you are approached by a coyote and you yell or put your hands up or make an attempt to make the coyote understand you're not prey, you're not to be approached, you're not encouraging the coyote to approach you, that it is an effective tool ... We found that the combination of voice and body language is really great. And if you're feeling particularly jaunty, you can take a step toward the coyote. That's even more effective."

Attacks can come from sick animals, but rabies is not common. Mange is. Attacks can come for a variety of reason, including approaching a den.

"If it's injured. That's another place where you can be attacked. If your dog is being attacked and you try to intervene with your hands. You can be attacked that way," said Bonnell.

Children with their smaller size can be seen as potential prey, but it is difficult to say what happened in Colorado Springs, she added.

"Coyotes, if they feel cornered or if that particular coyote was injured or the children surprised it, that could make it more likely to have that sort of response."

CPW is still investigating.

Coyotes with their ability to adapt are doing well. Their natural predators -- wolves -- are no longer in the area, so they have spread well and have found humans ultimately help them survive.

"I always tell people you're actively training local coyotes all the time whether you know it or not," said Bonnell.