Archive

Upper Credit Field Naturalist Club hosts coyote seminar

April 27, 2017   ·   0 Comments

By Jasen Obermeyer

The Upper Credit Field Naturalist Club hosted a speaker from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF), to discuss Ontario coyotes.

The presentation, given by Erica Newton, was this Tuesday (April 25) at the Orangeville Seniors Centre on Bythia Street.

The Club, founded in 1986, holds regular meetings throughout the year, from January to April, and again from September to November. According to their website, the meetings are a “cornerstone activity of the Club at which excellent naturalists are invited to inform and delight all who attend.” Presentations range from wildlife animals, to bugs, plants, and nature in general.

The presentation included a brief history on wolves and coyotes, where they are, the kind of variations and hybrids, along with how they track a certain coyote’s travel.

There are now three types of Canids in Ontario: the grey wolf, the Algonquin wolf (originally referred to as the Eastern Wolf) and the Eastern coyote. The Eastern coyote is a Western coyote mixed with an Algonquin wolf. The Algonquin wolf is called that because of its concentration in Algonquin Provincial Park, and due to hunting has been listed as a threatened species.

Hybrids between these three include eastern wolf hybrids (referred to as timber wolves), and the Eastern coyote/Algonquin wolf hybrid.

The presentation also discussed the term “coywolf.” The coywolf is actually the Eastern Coyote, and has been a hybrid since the early 20th century. Coyotes have a high birth rate and abundance level, so despite increase hunting, the levels will remain the same, as they either die by humans, or natural reasons.

When the subject of the dangers coyotes present to humans, the attendees were told that attacks on humans are rare, but to treat and respect them as predators.

Mark Whitecombe, the Club’s president, said the presentations create interest and understanding. “It’s a social time… it’s a way of bringing people together and validating their interest.”

The Club’s website also states it is made up of “people who share a common interest in the natural environment: enjoying it, preserving it, and learning more about it”

For more information, visit their website at www.uppercreditfieldnaturalists.org.

Readers Comments (0)