U of C researcher examining attitudes in hopes of better co-existence

Shelley Alexander is studying attitudes towards coyotes in the foothills after doing the same for urbanites. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

We are far more afraid of coyotes than we ought to be, according to one University of Calgary professor. 

Shelley Alexander has found that urbanites have a fear of the animals that is far out of proportion to the actual rate of attacks on humans — less than three per year on average over 12 years — and now she wants to see how rural communities compare.

She's currently studying attitudes towards coyotes in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains by conducting interviews with residents. 

"It won't be an urban-rural kind of split. I think there is a lot of diversity in each community and that's what I'm looking at capturing — a broader understanding of how people relate to coyotes — and I think there will be a lot of surprises that emerge through the interviews," said Alexander.

She's hoping to change attitudes and find ways for humans and coyotes to co-exist. 

Anyone wanting to participate in the study can contact Alexander through the U of C, or online at the Foothills Coyote Initiative.