Why did the coyote cross the road?
You pull the car up in the driveway. You start to get the groceries out of the trunk. Little do you realize that just a few feet away from you a coyote watching you from your garden.
The animal is not poised to attack you or your pet; it has no intention of assault. It is simply biding its time until darkness coats it with protection.
"In the villages, when they are hunting at night, if they get exposed to daylight they will lay in a garden or grass and spend the day there until they can return at night," said Chris Anchor, a wildlife biologist for the Cook County Forest Preserve District. "People will move around them all day and not see them there."
Over the past eight years, Anchor has participated in the Cook County Urban Coyote Study, the largest study of its kind in the world. Other study team agencies include Ohio State University and the University of Illinois.
Utilizing information from the study, Anchor will present "Living with Coyotes," a program about the animals. In conjunction with the 37-year-old Citizens for Conservation, a non-profit based in the Barrington area, the presentation will take place Saturday at the Vehe Farm in Deer Park.
"I think everyone in the community is concerned about coyotes when we see them in our yards," said Meredith Tucker, co-chair of the event.
"Chris Anchor gives us some amazing insight on how to live peacefully with coyotes and explains we don't need to be worried or upset about it."
Anchor is quick to point out that coyotes live "everywhere." They inhabit the streets of Chicago, the village of Schaumburg, and live right smack dab in the middle of Palatine. They can be found in retention areas, under garages or sheds, in creek basins and on golf courses. It is impossible to pinpoint their exact population.
Of interest in his presentation, Anchor will talk about the species' behavior, intellect and keen survival abilities.
"They are generalists and complete opportunists," Anchor said. "They utilize any food source including apples falling out of trees and tomatoes out of gardens. They are very intelligent, making them difficult to capture and almost impossible to recapture. Once you get them, you never get them again."
Coyotes get a bum rap sometimes because people usually only hear about them when an attack occurs. However, according to Anchor, this usually happens only in situations where humans are feeding the animals.
"People need to realize that these are wild animals but they do a lot of good," said Tucker. "They get rid of the overpopulation of mice, rodents, and even get rid of road kill. We need to learn to live with them. They're here, and they're here to stay."
If you go
What: Citizens for Conservation's "Living with Coyotes"
Who: Chris Anchor of the Cook County Forest Preserve District
When: 9:30 a.m. Saturday
Where: Vehe Farm, 23570 W. Cuba Road, Deer Park
Admission: Free (donations welcome)
Call: (847) 382-SAVE (walk-ins welcome)
Did you know?
• The average weight of a coyote is 30 pounds.
• Coyotes in the wild usually die in their first year of life.
• They live in all areas of the state, including suburban neighborhoods.
• They eat digestible and indigestible items.
Do's and don'ts
• Don't feed coyotes.
• Do store pet food indoors and make sure trash is secured.
• Don't let pets run free or unattended.
• If a pet is chained in the yard, do provide refuge.
• If you see a coyote, don't approach it. Do leave it alone.