"They're extremely opportunistic. They're a species we call a generalist, so they are able to exploit the habitats that are available, even in close proximity to humans."

Unlike other wild animals - such as deer, Canada Geese and beavers - that have made themselves at home in urban settings - coyotes are predators, which often concerns their human neighbors.

Mitigating human-coyote conflicts

Exterminating coyotes isn't always practical or safe, so Anchor worked with fellow biologist Stan Gehrt, a professor at Ohio State University, to launch the Urban Coyote Project, to study the animals and learn how to mitigate human-coyote conflicts. Gehrt says what they found was surprising.

"For the most part these coyotes aren't nuisances at all. It's a little misleading for people because they only see the nuisances, the successful ones are the majority," says Gehrt. "And they're successful because you don't see them. They go about their business without impacting people."

He points out there are at least 350 coyotes in the Chicago area, with no recorded human attacks. In contrast, there are an average of 2,500 dog bites each year.

Keeping track

By trapping urban coyotes, taking fluid samples, radio collaring them, and tracking their movements, the biologists have learned a vast amount.

They now know the wild dogs are monogamous and live in small packs of about 6, with only the alpha male and female having a litter. Gehrt says they've also observed that coyotes learn much faster than domestic dogs do, and can safely cross busy highways and easily avoid traps set for them.