Authored by: Michel T. Kohl Urban sprawl is on the rise across the country with more people moving into metropolitan areas. From 2010 to 2020, 36 new urban areas were classified within the U.S. and the urban population grew by 6.4% (2020 Census Bureau). As human populations grow and encroach upon wildlife habitats, the potential for human-wildlife interactions increases. Atlanta is home to over 6 million people and ranked as the 4th fastest-growing city in the United States. Atlanta’s extensive green spaces and dense canopy cover allow for wildlife to thrive, including the coyote (Canis latrans). Over the past century, coyotes have expanded their range eastward due to their adaptability, which has also allowed them to thrive even in the most densely urban areas. Today, coyotes can be found in nearly every major city, including Los Angeles and Chicago. Coyotes are the second most reported species to the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division’s Urban Wildlife Program (UWP), a program designed for metro-citizens to report wildlife conflicts, with over 1,400 calls in the past five years since the program’s launch. Despite this high volume, only 6.5% of the calls entailed some sort of aggressive behavior towards people or pets. This makes Atlanta an ideal location for piloting new camera collar technology, with the plan of using it as a tool for education and outreach in hopes to reduce non-conflict reports to the UWP. Between winter 2023 and 2024, 8 LOTEK GPS camera collars were deployed within the I-285 perimeter surrounding Atlanta. Each collar was active for 13 weeks, resulting in approximately 220 hours of video footage paired with corresponding GPS data. Using video coding software, we were able to evaluate urban coyote predation rates on both natural and anthropogenic food sources and their general diel activities. To analyze their behavior patterns, we created probability graphs that reveal where and when coyotes spend their time in Atlanta. The results show that during daylight hours, coyotes primarily rest in unmaintained areas such as kudzu patches and dense forests. In contrast, at night they begin moving into maintained spaces, including residential and commercial areas. This suggests that urban coyotes have shifted their activity patterns to avoid humans, as they are historically most active at dawn and dusk. For diet, we counted feeding occurrences within the videos. We were able to see what specific items they consumed, and then group those into a natural (squirrels, plant material, etc.) or anthropogenic (trash, pet food, etc.) food source category. Our results showed that seven out of eight coyotes had a majority natural diet, with the remaining individual having a diet that consisted mostly of human discarded waste. These videos and initial results have been used as a tool to generate interest from the public about the project, which led to over 20 articles written about the research and a TV appearance on one of Atlanta’s most watched local news stations. Future plans for the project include more social media campaigns once the research is finalized in early 2025.
