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Whitley CT, Bowers MM, Grantz H. Urban Human-Coyote Conflicts: Assessing Friendliness as an Indicator of Coexistence. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2903. [PMID: 37760303 PMCID: PMC10525200 DOI: 10.3390/ani13182903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Human-coyote sightings and interactions are becoming more frequent in urban areas across North and Central America. While many species have lost territory, the coyote range has expanded. Relatively recently, ecologists have coalesced around the idea that coexistence is the most promising avenue to reduce human-coyote conflict in urban areas. Despite this, calls for the eradication of coyotes continue. We apply and extend the theory of survival of the friendliest to evaluate how the media is framing coyotes and management strategies and what the implications of this framing might be. Through a content analysis of newspaper articles from three different urban areas in the US (Los Angeles, CA; Seattle, WA; and Boston, MA), from 2000 to 2022, we find that friendly language is used to promote coexistence, while unfriendly language (threat, hostile, unfriendly, and danger) is used to justify eradication. We also find considerable variation in the type of coverage and consistency with scientific consensus across cities, likely reflecting the cities' varied histories and cultural understandings of the species. Given the media's influence on the public's views of coyotes and their support for management strategies, these findings suggest that the media plays a central role in shaping coyote-human relationships and management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cameron T. Whitley
- Department of Sociology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225, USA;
| | - Melanie M. Bowers
- Department of Political Science, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225, USA;
| | - Harriett Grantz
- Department of Sociology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225, USA;
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2
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Ammendolia J, Saturno J, Bond AL, O'Hanlon NJ, Masden EA, James NA, Jacobs S. Tracking the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic-related debris on wildlife using digital platforms. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 848:157614. [PMID: 35901900 PMCID: PMC9310380 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Since the start of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19) pandemic in December 2019, there have been global surges of single-use plastic use. Due to the importance of personal protective equipment (PPE) and sanitation items in protecting against virus transmission and from testing, facemasks, respirators, disposable gloves and disposable wet wipes have become global staples in households and institutions. Widespread use and insufficient infrastructure, combined with improper waste management have resulted in an emerging category of litter. With widespread presence in the environment, such items pose a direct threat to wildlife as animals can interact with them in a series of ways. We examined the scope of COVID-19 pandemic-related debris, including PPE and sanitation items, on wildlife from April 2020 to December 2021. We document the geographic occurrence of incidents, debris types, and consequences of incidents that were obtained from social media searches, unpublished reports from colleagues, and reports available from the citizen science database "Birds and Debris". There were 114 unique sightings of wildlife interactions with pandemic-related debris (38 from 2020 and 76 from 2021). Within the context of this dataset, most incidents involved birds (83.3 %), while fewer affected mammals (10.5 %), invertebrates (3.5 %), fish (1.8 %), and sea turtles (0.9 %). Sightings originated in 23 countries, and consisted mostly of entanglements (42.1 %) and nest incorporations (40.4 %). We verified sightings by contacting the original observers and were able to identify replicated sightings and increase the resolution of the data collected compared with previously published results. Due to the complexities associated with global use and accessibility of digital platforms, we likely underestimate the number of animals harmed by debris. Overall, the global scope of this study demonstrates that online and social media platforms are a valuable way to collect biologically relevant citizen science data and track rapidly emerging environmental challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine Ammendolia
- Faculty of Graduate Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies, Dalhousie University, Halifax B3H 4R2, Canada.
| | - Jacquelyn Saturno
- School for Resources and Environmental Studies, Dalhousie University, Halifax B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Alexander L Bond
- Bird Group, The Natural History Museum, Akeman Street, Tring, Hertfordshire HP23 6AP, UK
| | - Nina J O'Hanlon
- Centre for Energy and the Environment, Environmental Research Institute, North Highland College - University of the Highlands and Islands, Ormlie Road, Thurso, Caithness KW14 7EE, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth A Masden
- Centre for Energy and the Environment, Environmental Research Institute, North Highland College - University of the Highlands and Islands, Ormlie Road, Thurso, Caithness KW14 7EE, United Kingdom
| | - Neil A James
- Centre for Energy and the Environment, Environmental Research Institute, North Highland College - University of the Highlands and Islands, Ormlie Road, Thurso, Caithness KW14 7EE, United Kingdom
| | - Shoshanah Jacobs
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
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Turner J, Freeman R, Carbone C. Using citizen science to understand and map habitat suitability for a synurbic mammal in an urban landscape: the hedgehog
Erinaceus europaeus. Mamm Rev 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Turner
- Institute of Zoology Zoological Society of London Regent's Park LondonNW1 4RYUK
- School of Biological and Chemical Science Queen Mary University of London LondonE1 4NSUK
| | - Robin Freeman
- Institute of Zoology Zoological Society of London Regent's Park LondonNW1 4RYUK
| | - Chris Carbone
- Institute of Zoology Zoological Society of London Regent's Park LondonNW1 4RYUK
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4
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Drake D, Dubay S, Allen ML. Evaluating human–coyote encounters in an urban landscape using citizen science. JOURNAL OF URBAN ECOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/jue/juaa032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Coyotes are ubiquitous in habitats across North America, including in urban areas. Reviews of human–coyote encounters are limited in scope and analysis and predominantly document encounters that tend to be negative, such as human–wildlife conflict, rather than benign experiences. The objective of our study was to use citizen science reports of human–coyote interactions entered into iNaturalist to better understand the range of first person accounts of human–coyote encounters in Madison, WI. We report 398 citizen science accounts of human–coyote encounters in the Madison area between October 2015 and March 2018. Most human–coyote encounters occurred during coyote breeding season and half of all encounters occurred in moderate development land cover. Estimated level of coyote aggressiveness varied significantly, with 90% of citizen scientists scoring estimated coyote aggression as a 0 and 7% scoring estimated aggression as a 1 on a 0–5 scale (with 0 being calm and 5 being aggressive). Our best performing model explaining the estimated distance between the human observer and a coyote (our proxy for a human–coyote encounter) included the variables distance to nearest paved road, biological season of the year relative to coyote life history, and time of day/night. We demonstrate that human–coyote interactions are regularly more benign than negative, with almost all first-hand reported human–coyote encounters being benign. We encourage public outreach focusing on practices that can foster benign encounters when educating the public to facilitate human–coyote coexistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Drake
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Shelli Dubay
- College of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, 800 Reserve St, Stevens Point, WI 54481, USA
| | - Maximilian L Allen
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois, 1816 S. Oak Street, Champaign, IL 61820, USA
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Kellner KF, Hill JE, Gantchoff MG, Kramer DW, Bailey AM, Belant JL. Responses of sympatric canids to human development revealed through citizen science. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:8705-8714. [PMID: 32884652 PMCID: PMC7452815 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Measuring wildlife responses to anthropogenic activities often requires long-term, large-scale datasets that are difficult to collect. This is particularly true for rare or cryptic species, which includes many mammalian carnivores. Citizen science, in which members of the public participate in scientific work, can facilitate collection of large datasets while increasing public awareness of wildlife research and conservation. Hunters provide unique benefits for citizen science given their knowledge and interest in outdoor activities. We examined how anthropogenic changes to land cover impacted relative abundance of two sympatric canids, coyote (Canis latrans), and red fox (Vulpes vulpes) at a large spatial scale. In order to assess how land cover affected canids at this scale, we used citizen science data from bow hunter sighting logs collected throughout New York State, USA, during 2004-2017. We found that the two species had contrasting responses to development, with red foxes positively correlated and coyotes negatively correlated with the percentage of low-density development. Red foxes also responded positively to agriculture, but less so when agricultural habitat was fragmented. Agriculture provides food and denning resources for red foxes, whereas coyotes may select forested areas for denning. Though coyotes and red foxes compete in areas of sympatry, we did not find a relationship between species abundance, likely a consequence of the coarse spatial resolution used. Red foxes may be able to coexist with coyotes by altering their diets and habitat use, or by maintaining territories in small areas between coyote territories. Our study shows the value of citizen science, and particularly hunters, in collection of long-term data across large areas (i.e., the entire state of New York) that otherwise would unlikely be obtained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth F. Kellner
- Camp Fire Program in Wildlife ConservationState University of New York College of Environmental Science and ForestrySyracuseNew YorkUSA
| | - Jacob E. Hill
- Camp Fire Program in Wildlife ConservationState University of New York College of Environmental Science and ForestrySyracuseNew YorkUSA
| | - Mariela G. Gantchoff
- Camp Fire Program in Wildlife ConservationState University of New York College of Environmental Science and ForestrySyracuseNew YorkUSA
| | - David W. Kramer
- New York State Department of Environmental ConservationAlbanyNew YorkUSA
| | - Amanda M. Bailey
- New York State Department of Environmental ConservationAlbanyNew YorkUSA
| | - Jerrold L. Belant
- Camp Fire Program in Wildlife ConservationState University of New York College of Environmental Science and ForestrySyracuseNew YorkUSA
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7
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Li H, Parker KA, Kalcounis-Rueppell MC. The luxury effect beyond cities: bats respond to socioeconomic variation across landscapes. BMC Ecol 2019; 19:46. [PMID: 31676008 PMCID: PMC6825354 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-019-0262-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The luxury effect describes the positive relationship between affluence and organism diversity or activity in urban ecosystems. Driven by human activities, the luxury effect can potentially be found at a broader scale across different landscapes. Previously, the luxury effect relationship has been established within a city for two bat species, the red bat (Lasiurus borealis) and the evening bat (Nycticeius humeralis). We examined landscape-scale patterns of bat activity distribution—using empirical data for seven bat species for the luxury effect. We also identified bat-land cover associations for each species. Across North Carolina, USA, we used the mobile transect survey protocol of the North American Monitoring Program to record bat activity at 43 sites from 2015 to 2018. We collected land cover and income data at our transect locations to construct generalized linear mixed models to identify bat-land cover and bat-income relationships. Results We found that across landscapes, activity of the red bat and the evening bat was positively correlated to income independent of land cover, consistent with previous single-city results. We found a negative relationship between hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus) activity and income. All seven species had specific land cover associations. Additionally, we found a positive interaction term between income and evergreen forest for the red bat and a positive interaction term between income and woody wetland for hoary bat. Conclusions Our results demonstrated that the luxury effect is an ecological pattern that can be found at a broad spatial scale across different landscapes. We highlight the need for multi-scale ecology studies to identify the mechanism(s) underlying the luxury effect and that the luxury effect could cause inequity in how people receive the ecosystem services provided by bats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Li
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA.
| | - Kevin A Parker
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA
| | - Matina C Kalcounis-Rueppell
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA.,Faculty of Science and Biological Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
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Self SW, Pulaski CN, McMahan CS, Brown DA, Yabsley MJ, Gettings JR. Regional and local temporal trends in the prevalence of canine heartworm infection in the contiguous United States: 2012-2018. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:380. [PMID: 31362754 PMCID: PMC6668072 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3633-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Canine heartworm disease is a potentially fatal disease for which treatment is financially burdensome for many pet owners. Prevention is strongly advocated by the veterinary community along with routine testing for infection during annual wellness examinations. Despite the availability of efficacious chemoprophylaxis, recent reports have suggested that the incidence of heartworm disease in domestic dogs is increasing. RESULTS Using data from tests for heartworm infection in the USA from January 2012 through September 2018, a Bayesian spatio-temporal binomial regression model was used to estimate the regional and local temporal trends of heartworm infection prevalence. The area with the largest increase in regional prevalence was found in the Lower Mississippi River Valley. Regional prevalence increased throughout the southeastern states and northward into Illinois and Indiana. Local (county-level) prevalence varied across the USA, with increasing prevalence occurring along most of the Atlantic coast, central United States, and western states. Clusters of decreasing prevalence were present along the Mississippi Alluvial Plain (a historically endemic area), Oklahoma and Kansas, and Florida. CONCLUSIONS Canine heartworm infection prevalence is increasing in much of the USA, both regionally and locally, despite veterinarian recommendations on prevention and testing. Additional steps should be taken to protect dogs, cats and ferrets. Further work is needed to identify the driving factors of the locally decreasing prevalence present along the Mississippi Alluvial plain, Florida, and other areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stella W. Self
- School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Cassan N. Pulaski
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 USA
| | - Christopher S. McMahan
- School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - D. Andrew Brown
- School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Michael J. Yabsley
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 USA
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 USA
| | - Jenna R. Gettings
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 USA
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9
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Walter T, Zink R, Laaha G, Zaller JG, Heigl F. Fox sightings in a city are related to certain land use classes and sociodemographics: results from a citizen science project. BMC Ecol 2018; 18:50. [PMID: 30497463 PMCID: PMC6267792 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-018-0207-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 11/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes L.) have become successful inhabitants of urban areas in recent years. However, our knowledge about the occurrence, distribution and association with land uses of these urban foxes is poor, partly because many favoured habitats are on private properties and therefore hardly accessible to scientists. We assumed that citizen science, i.e. the involvement of the public, could enable researchers to bridge this information gap. We analysed 1179 fox sightings in the city of Vienna, Austria reported via citizen science projects to examine relationships between foxes and the surrounding land use classes as well as sociodemographic parameters. Results Conditional probabilities of encountering foxes were substantially higher in gardens, areas with a low building density, parks or squares as compared to agricultural areas, industrial areas or forests. Generalized linear model analyses showed that sociodemographic parameters such as education levels, district area, population density and average household income additionally improved the predictability of fox sightings. Conclusions Reports of fox sightings by citizen scientists might help to support the establishment of wildlife management in cities. Additionally, these data could be used to address public health issues in relation with red foxes as they can carry zoonoses that are also dangerous to humans. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12898-018-0207-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa Walter
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria.,Institute of Zoology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Gregor Mendel Strasse 33, 1180, Vienna, Austria
| | - Richard Zink
- Austrian Ornithological Centre, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1a, 1160, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gregor Laaha
- Institute for Applied Statistics and Computing, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Peter Jordan-Strasse 82, 1190, Vienna, Austria
| | - Johann G Zaller
- Institute of Zoology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Gregor Mendel Strasse 33, 1180, Vienna, Austria
| | - Florian Heigl
- Institute of Zoology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Gregor Mendel Strasse 33, 1180, Vienna, Austria.
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10
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Armstrong BA, Kneubehl A, Krishnavajhala A, Wilder HK, Boyle W, Wozniak E, Phillips C, Hollywood K, Murray KO, Donaldson TG, Teel PD, Waldrup K, Lopez JE. Seroprevalence for the tick-borne relapsing fever spirochete Borrelia turicatae among small and medium sized mammals of Texas. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018; 12:e0006877. [PMID: 30372445 PMCID: PMC6224114 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Revised: 11/08/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In low elevation arid regions throughout the southern United States, Borrelia turicatae is the principal agent of tick-borne relapsing fever. However, endemic foci and the vertebrate hosts involved in the ecology of B. turicatae remain undefined. Experimental infection studies suggest that small and medium sized mammals likely maintain B. turicatae in nature, while the tick vector is a long-lived reservoir. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Serum samples from wild caught rodents, raccoons, and wild and domestic canids from 23 counties in Texas were screened for prior exposure to B. turicatae. Serological assays were performed using B. turicatae protein lysates and recombinant Borrelia immunogenic protein A (rBipA), a diagnostic protein that is unique to RF spirochetes and may be a species-specific antigen. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Serological responses to B. turicatae were detected from 24 coyotes, one gray fox, two raccoons, and one rodent from six counties in Texas. These studies indicate that wild canids and raccoons were exposed to B. turicatae and are likely involved in the pathogen's ecology. Additionally, more work should focus on evaluating rodent exposure to B. turicatae and the role of these small mammals in the pathogen's maintenance in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany A. Armstrong
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Alexander Kneubehl
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Aparna Krishnavajhala
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Hannah K. Wilder
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi, United States of America
| | - William Boyle
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi, United States of America
| | - Edward Wozniak
- Texas State Guard, Medical Brigade, Uvalde, Texas, United States of America
| | - Carson Phillips
- Texas Department of State Health Services, Zoonosis, El Paso, Texas, United States of America
| | - Kristen Hollywood
- Texas Department of State Health Services, Zoonosis, Midland, Texas, United States of America
| | - Kristy O. Murray
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Taylor G. Donaldson
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Pete D. Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Ken Waldrup
- Texas Department of State Health Services, Zoonosis, El Paso, Texas, United States of America
| | - Job E. Lopez
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
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Campbell CD, Sarre SD, Stojanovic D, Gruber B, Medlock K, Harris S, MacDonald AJ, Holleley CE. When is a native species invasive? Incursion of a novel predatory marsupial detected using molecular and historical data. DIVERS DISTRIB 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Stephen D. Sarre
- Institute for Applied Ecology; University of Canberra; Bruce ACT Australia
| | - Dejan Stojanovic
- Fenner School of Environment and Society; Australian National University; Acton ACT Australia
| | - Bernd Gruber
- Institute for Applied Ecology; University of Canberra; Bruce ACT Australia
| | | | - Stephen Harris
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences; University of Queensland; St Lucia QLD Australia
| | - Anna J. MacDonald
- Institute for Applied Ecology; University of Canberra; Bruce ACT Australia
| | - Clare E. Holleley
- Institute for Applied Ecology; University of Canberra; Bruce ACT Australia
- Australian National Wildlife Collection; National Research Collections Australia; CSIRO; Canberra ACT Australia
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12
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Frauenthal VM, Bergman P, Murtaugh RJ. Retrospective evaluation of coyote attacks in dogs: 154 cases (1997-2012). J Vet Emerg Crit Care (San Antonio) 2017; 27:333-341. [PMID: 28420038 DOI: 10.1111/vec.12601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2015] [Revised: 07/07/2015] [Accepted: 08/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To describe the clinical presentation and outcome of known attacks in client-owned dogs caused by the common coyote, Canis latrans. DESIGN Retrospective observational study. SETTING Private referral hospital. ANIMALS One hundred fifty-four client-owned dogs known to be attacked by coyotes. INTERVENTIONS None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Records from a private referral hospital from May 1997 through December 2012 were reviewed. Time of day and month/season of year, signalment, body temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, body weight, location and severity of wounds inflicted, common injuries, length of hospitalization, necessity of surgical wound repair under anesthesia, antimicrobial use and mortality were recorded. Eighty-six percent of dogs presenting following coyote attack weighed <10 kg. Overall mortality rate was 15.6%. Dogs with bite wounds to the thorax had the highest mortality at 21.3%. Criteria for systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) based on admission vital signs were met in 58.8% of dogs and the presence of SIRS was significantly associated with mortality (P < 0.001). Common coyote-induced injuries included rib fracture (38/154; 24.6%), pulmonary contusion (30/154; 19.4%), tracheal tear (18/154; 11.6%), pneumothorax (16/154; 10.3%), abdominal wall hernia (9/154; 5.8%), and abdominal penetrating wounds (8/146; 5.5%). Dogs <10 kg were significantly more likely to incur wounds to multiple body parts or sustain abdominal penetrating wounds. The presence of rib fracture was significantly associated with mortality. Frequency of coyote attacks over the time of this study increased by 330%. CONCLUSIONS Coyote attacks on dogs are a problem in Southern California and are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality, especially in dogs with wounds to the thorax. Aggressive management involving surgical wound repair was associated with survival to discharge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia M Frauenthal
- Department of Emergency and Critical Care, VCA Care Speciality and Emergency Animal Hospital, 301 E. Haley Street, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101
| | - Philip Bergman
- VCA Clinical Studies and Katonah-Bedford Veterinary Center, 546 N Bedford Road, Bedford Hills, NY, 10507
| | - Robert J Murtaugh
- VCA All Care Animal Referral Center, 18440 Amistad Street, Suite E, Fountain Valley, CA, 92708
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