Kensington at Providence Homeowners Association awarded the CAI-Nevada 2018 Southern Nevada Outstanding Small Associaton Of The Year
2020 Southern Nevada Outstanding Small Associaton Of The Year
2023 Southern Nevada Outstanding Small Associaton Of The Year
Nevada Department of Wildlife, Conservation Education Division, Las Vegas
Coyotes are adaptable animals that can be found throughout North America and in every major metropolitan city, including New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Las Vegas is no exception. Whether you live on the outskirts of town or closer to The Strip, there is always a chance you may spot one of these animals running across the street or through an open lot.
Coyotes (Canis latrans) are members of the dog family and resemble a medium-sized shepherd-collie type dog. Their coat is varied in color from tans to browns and grays. In some areas their coats may even have a hint of red. Though they may appear larger to some, especially during the cool winter months, our desert coyotes normally weigh between 20-25 pounds. Coyotes can live five to seven years and usually breed January through March. Though generally more active at dawn and dusk, coyotes can be seen throughout the day, year-round.
You might wonder why these desert animals are making their way into the city when they have so much wide open desert to roam around in. To put it simply, we have made it easier for them to live in the city than out in the desert. The things we enjoy about living in our communities -- green grass, shade, water features, open space, and golf courses-- the coyotes also like. These community features offer a consistent water source, something increasingly difficult to find in the desert as we continue with an ongoing drought. Quail and rabbits living off the green grasses of golf courses provide a reliable food source for coyotes. Our manmade structures also provide shelter for the animals. Coyotes can be found in culverts, under bushy vegetation, almost anywhere there is a little protection.
When it comes to eating, coyotes are opportunistic feeders. In times when their natural food sources like rodents, fruits, and nuts are low, the city offers additional food sources. Those include human garbage, pet food, and even pets. This is usually where the human-coyote conflict arises, especially when pets are involved. A coyote does not know the difference between a rabbit and a small dog, it only recognizes them as food. Even so, there are multiple ways to reduce your risk of having an unpleasant coyote encounter and keep your pets safe:
Eliminate hiding places for the coyotes and their prey. Change or trim landscaping as needed.
Work with your neighbors to make your neighborhood undesirable. If one neighbor feeds animals and another leaves out their garbage, while you are doing all you can to eliminate attractants in your yard, you will still have problems in your neighborhood.
Coyote attacks on humans are extremely rare. Clark County has never had a confirmed coyote attack, though they have occurred elsewhere in the West. If you are concerned about safety when out and about in your neighborhood, you may carry sound producing devices like a whistle or horn-in-a-can, or pepper spray to use on a coyote. Let the coyote know that it is not welcome. Another option is to spray the coyote with water from a garden hose. What you don’t want to do is corner or trap the coyote. Give them room to pass so they don’t feel threatened.
The Nevada Department of Wildlife will respond to a coyote encounter only if there is a bona fide public safety threat; simply seeing a coyote is not cause for alarm. Coyotes are never relocated as they are a rabies vector species and relocation is rarely effective. Moreover, these are territorial animals and are not accepting of newcomers who are released in their neck of the woods. Coyotes can travel more than 300 miles in order to return to a specific location. Also, when one coyote is removed there is an open spot for other coyotes to move into. Some people advocate the removal of all coyotes in and around the Las Vegas Valley, but you will not “get rid” of them. Coyotes have a density-dependant breeding rate, which means that as the coyote population decreases in a given area, there is the chance that coyote pup litters may actually increase in both number and size.
While the mere presence of coyotes can make some people uncomfortable, this animal plays an important role when it comes to rodent control. Just think, if there were no coyotes to eat rabbits then rabbits just might be eating the special plants in your garden. We share the desert with coyotes, and we need to learn to live with them by adjusting the way we do things and taking the precautions listed above.
For more information visit ndow.org or call the Urban Wildlife line at 702-486-5127 ext. 3213.s.
Nevada Department of Wildlife, Conservation Education Division, Las Vegas
Coyotes are adaptable animals that can be found throughout North America and in every major metropolitan city, including New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Las Vegas is no exception. Whether you live on the outskirts of town or closer to The Strip, there is always a chance you may spot one of these animals running across the street or through an open lot.
Coyotes (Canis latrans) are members of the dog family and resemble a medium-sized shepherd-collie type dog. Their coat is varied in color from tans to browns and grays. In some areas their coats may even have a hint of red. Though they may appear larger to some, especially during the cool winter months, our desert coyotes normally weigh between 20-25 pounds. Coyotes can live five to seven years and usually breed January through March. Though generally more active at dawn and dusk, coyotes can be seen throughout the day, year-round.
You might wonder why these desert animals are making their way into the city when they have so much wide open desert to roam around in. To put it simply, we have made it easier for them to live in the city than out in the desert. The things we enjoy about living in our communities -- green grass, shade, water features, open space, and golf courses-- the coyotes also like. These community features offer a consistent water source, something increasingly difficult to find in the desert as we continue with an ongoing drought. Quail and rabbits living off the green grasses of golf courses provide a reliable food source for coyotes. Our manmade structures also provide shelter for the animals. Coyotes can be found in culverts, under bushy vegetation, almost anywhere there is a little protection.
When it comes to eating, coyotes are opportunistic feeders. In times when their natural food sources like rodents, fruits, and nuts are low, the city offers additional food sources. Those include human garbage, pet food, and even pets. This is usually where the human-coyote conflict arises, especially when pets are involved. A coyote does not know the difference between a rabbit and a small dog, it only recognizes them as food. Even so, there are multiple ways to reduce your risk of having an unpleasant coyote encounter and keep your pets safe:
Coyote attacks on humans are extremely rare. Clark County has never had a confirmed coyote attack, though they have occurred elsewhere in the West. If you are concerned about safety when out and about in your neighborhood, you may carry sound producing devices like a whistle or horn-in-a-can, or pepper spray to use on a coyote. Let the coyote know that it is not welcome. Another option is to spray the coyote with water from a garden hose. What you don’t want to do is corner or trap the coyote. Give them room to pass so they don’t feel threatened.
The Nevada Department of Wildlife will respond to a coyote encounter only if there is a bona fide public safety threat; simply seeing a coyote is not cause for alarm. Coyotes are never relocated as they are a rabies vector species and relocation is rarely effective. Moreover, these are territorial animals and are not accepting of newcomers who are released in their neck of the woods. Coyotes can travel more than 300 miles in order to return to a specific location. Also, when one coyote is removed there is an open spot for other coyotes to move into. Some people advocate the removal of all coyotes in and around the Las Vegas Valley, but you will not “get rid” of them. Coyotes have a density-dependant breeding rate, which means that as the coyote population decreases in a given area, there is the chance that coyote pup litters may actually increase in both number and size.
While the mere presence of coyotes can make some people uncomfortable, this animal plays an important role when it comes to rodent control. Just think, if there were no coyotes to eat rabbits then rabbits just might be eating the special plants in your garden. We share the desert with coyotes, and we need to learn to live with them by adjusting the way we do things and taking the precautions listed above.
For more information visit ndow.org or call the Urban Wildlife line at 702-486-5127 ext. 3213.
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