Tuesday 5 March 2013

"The Coyote's Nothing Sceery, Just Singing to His Dearie"--A New Lullaby for Montreal?

We haven't heard them, but it was nice to hear they're not far away: coyotes in Montreal.

Seems that at least two females and a male have set up housekeeping along one of the railroad right of ways entering the city.  There have been reports of them howling as well as some sightings.

I've always admired the toughness of the beasts who can live so close to humans, and who are not really pests if you stay out of their way--and keep your own pets under control.

"Coyotes have a tremendously positive impact on an area’s biodiversity and ecological integrity," says the SPCA. In ordinary times about the only other non-human predators in urban areas are cats and dogs, species which don't go after a lot of the nuisances animals that our garbage attracts.  But coyotes can be a match for young racoons, and after our experience last summer with a large family of that species, I'd love to think that coyotes would do a little maurading around here next summer. 

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