The Lone Coyote: Learning to Coexist With Wildlife in Our Own Backyard
Deeper Dive Resources: Coyote Friendly Communities: How to Talk to Communities about Coexisting with Coyotes
After a house fire displaced my family, our insurance company placed us in a rental sitting on seven acres, and unexpectedly, it became a front-row seat to urban wildlife. For several weeks, my daughter and I have been safely observing a lone coyote that regularly moves around the pond and surrounding property, separate from a larger family of coyotes nearby. Recently, I photographed him looking extremely thin and in rough condition, but appearance alone cannot tell us whether a wild animal is sick, injured, starving, or dealing with something else. Instead of interfering, I reported my observations to Texas Parks and Wildlife and contacted a wildlife rehabilitator for guidance. This experience has been a powerful reminder that as humans continue modifying natural landscapes, wildlife is being forced to adapt to living alongside us. Coexistence means giving these animals space, never feeding or approaching them, contacting professionals when something seems wrong, and remembering that sometimes the best way to care about wildlife is simply to respect it and let wild animals stay wild.
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