Over the past few decades, coyotes—animals most people associate with deserts or rural areas—have been popping up in places you’d never expect: big cities. From San Francisco and Denver to Chicago and even New York City, these wild canids are learning to live side-by-side with humans. It’s a major shift, and it brings up some interesting questions. How are they surviving in these concrete jungles? What does that mean for us?
Coyotes have always been survivors. For thousands of years, they mostly stuck to the western and southern US. But things began to change in the 20th century. As bigger predators like wolves and cougars began to disappear due to habitat loss and extermination campaigns, coyotes moved into new areas—including the East Coast. In the middle of the century, coyotes from the western US crossbred with grey wolves from Canada around the Great Lakes region. They continued to expand their range into the northeastern US at the end of the century, where they also crossbred with domestic dogs. The hybridisation with wolves made them bigger and stronger, allowing them to hunt larger prey such as deer that lived in large populations on the East Coast. Combined with their adaptability, this unique hybridisation enhanced their skills as predators and allowed them to thrive in their new range.
Thus, the coyotes we see in the eastern US today are hybrids, with genes from wolves and dogs. They each served a purpose for the coyotes. Genes from wolves made the species larger, while genes from domestic dogs gave them a higher tolerance for anthropogenic conditions, such as loud sounds, lights, and human presence. These genetic shifts meant coyotes were adaptable; a crucial trait for an urban life that demands flexibility. Today, they’ve learned to make the most of what urban environments offer—even if it means dodging cars, scavenging from trash bins, and dealing with a lot of humans.
Making city life work
For coyotes, one of the biggest shifts to city life has been their food sources. In the wild, their diet mostly consists of small mammals and sometimes deer, alongside some supplementation with wild fruits. Urban life, though, asks for more flexibility. Coyotes will still hunt for small mammals that inhabit cities (such as rats and squirrels), but they’re also scavenging from garbage cans, eating fruit from backyard trees, and even helping to control stray cat populations.
It’s not just their eating habits that have changed. City coyotes are also getting creative with where they live. Their small family groups are finding dens in city parks, under thick brush, and in spots that give them a little privacy. They tend to like areas with a bit of slope, some good hiding spots, and places facing east—researchers aren’t sure why, but it might help with morning sun exposure during pup-rearing season.
In New York City, which has limited green space, learning how to utilise this limited green space gives city coyotes an edge. Several years ago, wild coyotes were found in Central Park in the middle of Manhattan and were later relocated to the Queens Zoo in Flushing, where they live today. More recently, a new pair has moved into Central Park and become locally famous, showing that coyotes are making use of one of the most iconic parks in the world.
Researchers also tracked coyotes across various boroughs in New York City and found them in parks where there is enough cover and food to support them. Genetically, they appear to have descended from a relatively small founding group, but movement between green spaces like parks allows different groups to intermix, keeping populations from becoming inbred. In the same city, they have also learned to use the local train tracks, such as the Long Island Railroad, which runs from the heart of New York City east for more than two hours, to reach the end of Long Island. They have learned that the trains run less frequently at night and travel on the tracks under the cover of darkness.
Despite being in the middle of one of the world’s busiest cities, New York City coyotes seem to prefer a quiet life. They avoid people as much as possible, stick to night hours, and raise their pups in relatively secluded spots. However, coyotes born in urban areas seem to be getting more used to us. Their parents live near humans, so over time, their pups are becoming less afraid of people. This doesn’t mean coyotes are soon going to come up and ask for a treat, but it does mean they might act more boldly than their country counterparts. For example, these urban coyotes are more active during the day and are frequently seen around houses as well as in densely populated areas.
But urban life might also be changing coyotes on a genetic level. Since living in a city comes with a whole new set of challenges—busy roads, less space, new food sources, and constant human activity—animals are pushed to evolve in different ways. Some coyotes in New York City carry significant amounts of DNA from domestic dogs. One coyote in Queens had nearly half of his genome from dogs, and his pups showed behaviours you’d expect more from pets than wild animals—such as being a little too comfortable around humans. This raises interesting questions about how urban coyotes might evolve in the future.
Friends, foes, or somewhere in between?
For the most part, coyotes want nothing to do with us humans. In cities like Denver and Chicago, the majority of coyote-related incidents are just sightings—no attacks, no real conflict. When problems do arise, they’re usually related to domestic pets. A small number of coyotes go after dogs or cats, especially if they are left outside unattended or venture too close to a den. But incidents are rare, and most coyotes avoid direct confrontation.
Still, it’s understandable that some folks get nervous when they spot a coyote in their neighbourhood—and that’s fair! In response to this, many cities are starting outreach programmes to teach people how to handle coyote encounters. One effective method they teach is called “hazing”—scaring coyotes away by yelling, clapping, or waving your arms—so they don’t get too comfortable around people. Such approaches help keep both humans and coyotes safe in the long run.
Coyotes are showing us that nature doesn’t stop at the edge of the city. Urban species adapt to our environments, evolve in surprising ways, and challenge the idea that cities are only for humans. They are not simply learning how to survive, they are learning how to thrive. Of course, with closer cohabitation comes responsibility. As more wildlife starts to share our urban spaces, we need to think about how to coexist peacefully. That means educating ourselves, protecting our pets, and finding ways to let these amazing animals be part of our urban ecosystems without putting anyone at risk.
Coyotes might not be everyone’s favourite neighbour—but they’re here to stay. If we pay attention, they have a thing or two to teach us about resilience, adaptability, and what it means to share space in an ever-changing world.
Further Reading
Bonnell, T. J. and S. W. Breck, S. W. 2017. Urban coyote management: Evaluation of hazing and non-lethal methods. Journal of Wildlife Management 81(5): 813–820. https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.21254.
Caragiulo, A. A., M. T. Wyman and P. R. Sievert. 2022. Coyote hybridisation and sociability in urban environments: Insights from New York City. Urban Wildlife Conservation 11(3): 215–232. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.urbanwild.2022.03.005. Henger, D., S. R. Ibarra and M. Brown. 2020. Urban coyotes in New York City: Genetic analysis and behavioral trends. Journal of Urban Ecology 14(2): 54–65. https://doi.org/10.1111/jue.12438.
