humber coyote pics!

[denis]

upon looking at the pics,one coyote is injured.you can see his leg,is purple,and half his tail is missing. poor thing.this is the one who came out on the path,right in front of me.perhaps,he got hit by a car? what should be done?i realise,even in his state,he would be extremalely,hard to capture. notice the extreme colour variation between the two.
denis

[dawnofthewolf]

Nice photos.  The second one appears to be mixed.

[denis]

could be.the other one is what i,m accustomed to seeing.
denis

[Moira]

I'm impressed Denis!  What luck - how close were you and what was their reaction to you?  P.S.  The pics are great!

[denis]

thanks moira.
they were about 100,to 150 ft away,and came closer.they would look at us(me and 2 joggers on the bridge),briefly,and went about their business looking for food.i was really surprised,at their apparent lack of fear for humans.i guess hunger rules!
denis

[frozenice7885]

Yeah the second one looks like its a coy dog a mix between a dog and coyote.  Very interesting.

[ravynne40]

wow Denis, weren't you afraid?
Super pictures
now I am definitely not going out there without a buddy!! that's a great bridge to get pics from.

which one was the brave one the 1st or 2nd that came closer to you?

and are you sure the second isn't a wolf coyote mix? never heard of a coy dog before...have to look it up

once again, be careful out there!
Irene

[denis]

there is a wolf-dog mix,up north they call a mallamute.people have them as pets.a friend of mine had one.i,m sure the coyotes could do the same with dogs. doubt you,d see a wolf-coyote mix.the wolves would tear any coyote to shreds,that they come across.the first one,the injured one,was the brave one.he,s probably the hungriest one,as apparent from his scrawny condition,plus injuries slowing him down.thanks for the comment irene
denis

[Turtlebird]

Malamutes are a breed of domestic dog - they are not dog/wolf hybrids, although the breed is commonly hybridized with wolves to create true 'wolfdogs' - which is unfortunate because they are generally untrustworthy as pets.  I think it is unlikely that wolves and coyotes would hybridize, because wolves absolutely hate coyotes and will kill them whenever possible.  

Coyote-dog hybrids are common though, and with the number of people who let their dogs run willy-nilly around Toronto parks, it doesn't take a stretch of the imagination to think someones pet dog managed to mate with a wild coyote.  That is an absolutely gorgeous animal though, wow.  The first one looks like he might just have a bit of mange.

[denis]

thanks for the info.
the friend of mine that had one,eventually had to get rid of it,as he wouldn,t trust it with his young children.i could not get near it,whitout it,pulling it,s lips back,warning me to stay away.not exactly good for a house pet!
denis

[Anonymous]

I think it is unlikely that wolves and coyotes would hybridize, because wolves absolutely hate coyotes and will kill them whenever possible.quote]

You may want to revisit and possibly research that statement... :wink:

Most coyotes we have in eastern Canada are actually a cross between wolves and coyotes, often referred to as coywolves.  Easiest way to tell the difference is their size, given that pure coyotes usually don't weigh more than 40lbs vs. the animals which we're seeing here which, on average, weigh in excess of 70lbs.  

While in most instances, you are correct, wolves dislike and dispatch coyotes, over 100 years ago it was a matter of survival for the wolf which was being eradicated by man. It needed to do something to survive, and so female coyotes mated with male wolves in areas north of the great lakes.  The population has since grown and expanded its range eastward through Quebec and into the Maritimes.

I love this animal...phenomenal in every way.

[denis]

wow! keep that info coming.it,s great food for thought.
denis

[Ann Brokelman]

Denis:  You may want to call the Toronto Wildlife Centre - let them know about the one who is definately injured.  They will hopefully go and look for it and see if it is really injured or whatever.  Ann

Toronto Wildlife Centre
60 Carl Hall Rd., Unit 4
Toronto, ON M3K 2C1
For concerns about sick, injured, or orphaned wildlife, or any other wildlife-related question or concern, please call:
TWC Wildlife Hotline: (416) 631- 0662
 Our Hours of Operation:

Open from 9AM until 6PM, 7 days a week, year round*

 *Please note that on December 24th, 25th, 26th, 31st, and January 1st, hours are 9am to 4pm.

[Niloc]

Excellent pics Denis, I have to agree with Attila, last winter I found 2 Coyotes in the Brickwoks I got even closer than you and I can tell you they were large German Sheppard size I was convinced they were Wolves but somebody told me that wolves are much bigger...appearently my 2 had chased a bunch of Deer up the Lower Don River and then crossed into the Brickworks...your pics are stunning you must be thrilled!

[denis]

thanks.
i wasn,t expecting to see coyotes in town. ann,i will try to call before they close.
denis