Coyotes may kill cats for food or to remove them as potential competitors. This is perhaps one of the most controversial aspects to the urbanization of coyotes and often pits sections of the public against each other. In fact, these relationships have been explored in some detail and it appears that coyotes have little impact on mesopredator populations outside of foxes and domestic cats, although the possible impact of coyotes on opossums has not been tested.īelow are a few examples of the impact coyotes may have in urban areas, most of which are considered positive effects. Although this perception has become quite popular, there has been little evidence that coyotes limit raccoon or skunk populations in urban areas. Some research has suggested that coyotes may limit other medium-sized predators that are smaller than coyotes, including raccoons, striped skunks, and opossums. This supports the general impressions of most nature center and park personnel in the area. Fox populations were not specifically measured by our researchers during the 1990's in the Chicago area when the coyote population appeared to increase, but we have conducted recent surveys that indicate fox species have declined. Less is known about this relationship in large, metropolitan areas. In rural areas, coyotes often kill red foxes and limit their populations. In some cases, these relationships are fairly clear, but for others there is only speculation. There has been a flurry of studies addressing the relationships between coyotes and other medium-sized predators, such as raccoons, skunks, and foxes.
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