Ashton Umanzor, 8, recently noticed an unusual animal in his neighborhood near Huntley Meadows Park in Fairfax County, Virginia. It stood still, looking at a field between the tree line and a nearby school, before disappearing into the shelter of greenery.

Ashton said this animal was different from a fox. “It had a gray color, and its tail was pointed down as it ran into the woods.” Foxes hold their tails out behind them when running.

Was it a coyote?

Coyotes don’t just live in the Western United States — they migrated east decades ago. The lack of natural predators and the availability of abundant water and food sources make Washington-area communities attractive to coyotes.

“Coyotes help keep other wildlife numbers in balance,” said Fairfax County wildlife management specialist Katherine Edwards. “They scavenge dead animals, helping to clean up the environment. They may also contribute to controlling overabundant wildlife species such as white-tailed deer or Canada geese. In suburban areas, coyotes feed heavily on rats and mice that may pose human health concerns and can create unsanitary conditions.”

Since 2004, coyotes have been seen in Huntley Meadows Park and Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C. National Park Service wildlife biologist Scott Bates said, “Coyotes use forest cover and other natural areas for shelter, and open spaces for food, including rodents and rabbits.”

Coyotes often stay away from people, but seeing one during the day doesn’t mean that it is sick or will become aggressive. “People have been home more — spending more time outdoors or looking out their windows,” said Megan Draheim, president of the District Coyote Project. The organization provides information to the public about local coyote populations and how to live with them peacefully.

“We’re in the very early stages of learning more about D.C.’s coyotes in terms of the size of the population and their movement patterns, so we can’t say for sure whether the population has been growing during the [coronavirus] pandemic.”

Coyote sightings typically increase during January and February when they breed, according to Fairfax County ecologist Dave Lawlor. “They may be more active during the day, covering significant distances looking for a mate,” Lawlor said. “Litters, usually born in April or May, typically consist of 4 to 7 pups. Pups often spend a year with parents, creating ‘packs’ of coyotes that are family groups.”

In the summer, when pups leave the den, they hide under shrubs and bushes while their parents hunt. Adult coyotes can be very defensive in the area around their dens. They may consider large dogs as threats. But the chances of any coyote becoming aggressive are small. The only human death in the United States from a coyote attack on record happened 41 years ago in California.

In 2020, three people in Rockville, Maryland, were bitten by a rabid coyote. In 2021, so was a Baltimore jogger. All four received medical care, and the coyotes were killed.

“Generally, people and coyotes run into problems over food and pets,” said Draheim. Often these are cases of food left outside, people feeding wildlife or uncovered compost bins attracting rodents near a house.

“Cats, left outside unattended, are prey size for a coyote. Coyotes don’t understand the difference between our pets and wildlife,” she said. “Same goes for off-leash small dogs.”

With coyotes well-established in the area, a sighting isn’t cause for alarm, Bates said. “If you see one, just enjoy this symbol of wildness from a distance.”

How to react if you see a coyote:

1. Don’t run. Just like with a dog, running away encourages coyotes to chase you.

2. Wave your arms in the air and yell at the coyote — throw things such as sticks toward them — without hitting them, of course! This is called “hazing.” Important: Unless a coyote is approaching very closely or otherwise acting aggressively, don’t haze them in parks — that’s where they belong! If they’re close to someplace they shouldn’t be (including your house), then hazing is okay.

3. Don’t turn your back toward coyotes. Walk backward away from the coyote and toward an adult.

4. Never feed wildlife. Associating people with food makes coyotes more aggressive.

5. Keep cats indoors, and keep dogs on a short leash.

6. A coyote that is behaving aggressively, stumbling or foaming at the mouth should be reported to local police or an animal control agency.

Sightings map

Aid the District Coyote Project. Reporting sightings will help researchers find areas of coyote-human interactions — good areas to target outreach efforts and studies. They collect information on sightings of foxes as well. You can also listen to fox and coyote sounds at the website districtcoyotes.com/citizen-science.html.

clarification

An earlier version of this story stated that only one human death from a coyote attack is on record in the past 41 years. Those records apply only to the United States. The story has been updated.

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