Coyote Problem Analysis

While the neighborhood that I live in is fine by my standards, there are a few problems that if they were solved, would make the neighborhood a better place. One of these problems is coyotes. A few times when I went outside, I would see the garbage rifled through. I used to think it was a raccoon until I realized I was mistaken. One night, I was coming home from my friend's house and I had to put something from my car into the garbage. As I was walking to the garbage I heard a noise like someone moving the garbage. As I turned the corner, I stopped dead in my tracks. Not even fifteen feet in front of me, was a coyote. It had been picking away at scraps of food that my family had thrown away. When the coyote saw me, it got startled and darted
off into the darkness. With the little light that was available, I could see trash in what looked like a seven-foot radius around the trash bag. Making a mess with someone's trash is just one of the many problems that coyotes cause. Coyotes can also attack small pets that are let outdoors; they can cause car accidents, and attack humans. By attacking either humans or other animals, coyotes can spread disease. If something is not done about coyotes present in my neighborhood, we will have to face the consequences of our ignorance. One measure that can be taken to solve the coyote problem is to kill all of the coyotes.
Although this is a viable solution and would most likely solve the problem. This solution would be deemed inhumane by many people and would be met with lots of resistance. This solution would also interfere with police work. For example, if someone were to call 911 to report gun shots, one wouldn't be able to determine if the gun shots were from killing a coyote or from harming another person. With gun use by the general public, there could also be problems with children and gun use. This solution has more negative points compared to positive ones and should only be used as a last
resort.
A second solution to the coyote problem is to destroy the coyotes' dens.
Although this solution could work, it would also be deemed inhumane. Mainly because of the fact that we would be killing their homes and by doing so, possibly kill coyotes that are occupying the den at the time. If the dens are destroyed, this is detrimental to other animals as well. Coyotes take over other animals dens when they need a home so by destroying the dens, we would be destroying the homes of other animals as well. This solution would end up being more harmful to the ecosystem because we would be displacing many other animals besides coyotes and in turn, is not one of the best to implement. A third solution would be to trap the coyotes. This also would be deemed inhumane. Although setting traps for the coyotes would be effective, people would have to spend money on these traps. Once the coyotes are trapped, they would need to be dealt with somehow. Either the coyotes would be shot after they are trapped, or they would be given to the animal control department of the local police station. This would also intrude on police officers' time. This solution could work but would require several parties to spend time and money to solve this
problem. The final solution to employ would be to eliminate conditions that draw coyotes. If we were to eliminate the easy accessibility of food, water, and shelter, coyotes wouldn’t be drawn to the area as much. This solution would require people to make sure that lids to their garbage cans are secure or garbage is stored indoors. People would also need to keep pets inside at night so they aren’t mistaken as prey for a coyote. If food and water bowls are left out for pets, they also would need to be brought inside so the coyotes aren’t fed and keep coming back for more. Gardens with fruits or vegetables would need to be fenced off so the coyotes don’t feed off the plants. I believe that this is the best solution because it requires people to do a little work and spend a little money if necessary. This solution isn’t inhumane like other solutions that were mentioned. It also doesn’t require the work of a third party, like the police.