Coyotes roaming Atlanta-area parking lots seen in new UGA footage
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Coyote seen on a Georgia trail camera. Photo: Michel Kohl Lab/University of Georgia
Coyotes can be seen in metro Atlanta's empty parking lots in new footage captured during wildlife research — but experts say it's unlikely you'll ever see one firsthand.
Why it matters: The University of Georgia is working with Georgia's Department of Natural Resources to understand how coyotes inhabit Atlanta in hopes of reducing bad interactions between humans and coyotes.
What they did: Researchers put GPS-enabled and camera-equipped collars on 50 coyotes to collect their movement data. They also installed 60 remote wildlife cameras throughout Atlanta to capture the activity patterns and distribution of the region's wildlife.
- UGA released some of their findings in an Aug. 1 news release. The research is still in progress with finalized results expected in early 2025, according to UGA.
What they found: Collar footage shows American jackals typically stay in wooded areas during the day. One clip shows a coyote in the woods off the interstate.
- However, other footage caught two of the canines near a radio station at sunset, and another one walking near a Comfort Inn at night.
- Two additional clips show a coyote in a parking lot, and another coyote running off with a fast food bag.
The intrigue: A Great Pyrenees from Decatur won the American Farm Bureau's "Farm Dog of the Year: People's Choice Pup" award in January after he was reportedly injured by coyotes while protecting his flock of sheep.
- 11Alive reports Casper killed eight of the 11 coyotes in the incident.
Threat level: UGA's collar videos did show instances of coyotes eating feral cats, but the researchers said coyotes are unlikely to eat pets.
- However, coyotes can contract rabies, distemper, parvo, heartworms and other diseases that can be passed to pets.
- Most importantly, the researchers called coyote attacks on humans "extremely rare" and typically caused by people feeding coyotes.
Stunning stat: WSB-TV reports Georgia ranks in the top ten states for its coyote population.
Friction point: Although it's legal to hunt coyotes in Georgia, wildlife experts typically oppose it because coyotes are natural pest control agents that eat rats, squirrels, and chipmunks that might carry diseases.
The bottom line: If you see a coyote, never approach it or feed it. You can make loud noises, or spray it with a hose or sprinklers to encourage it to leave, according to UGA.
- Secure your garbage, pet food and birdseed to keep it from coyotes. Likewise, close off crawl spaces to prevent coyotes from crawling under your house.
- Additionally, keep small pets inside or on a leash during bathroom breaks.