~ The call of the Coyote ~
For the last several evenings and nights, I have had my attention drawn away from whatever it was that I was doing, to the eerie screech, yell and howl of the coyotes that call the path behind my house their home. I have been woken up by them several times in the
last few days. I decided to do some research. They mate in late winter (January through March), so it is not a mating call. It is not a "normal " howl. It's a high pitched screech that you will never forget once you hear it. It is the call they make when they catch their prey (most likely someone's pet).
I live just a house off the open space along one of the many trails in Arapahoe County along the West Tollgate Creek and trail. Lately I have seen many postings of missing family pets. I know that we, humans, have taken over the home of the coyote with all the building and population growth the Denver area has experienced in the last 15 years.
Last week I was walking my dog, Wrigley, on the walking path. I had stopped for Wrigley to do some sniffing. I'm glad I did, because a coyote ran across the path about 20-30 yards ahead and across a little bridge. We did the smart thing and turned around to go the other way. I did keep looking back to make sure we weren't being followed. They can actually run as fast as 40 mph. The Denver metro area has many coyote attacks every year, most are of family pets. However, there have been reports of attacks on people out walking their dogs.
If you want to live in an area that has lots of open space around, you must also share that space with the natural inhabitants. Keeping your senses sharp and staying aware of your surroundings at all times, you can share Mother Nature's beauty. Afterall, itsn't Mother Nature's Beauty the reason why we live in Colorado?
photo from Google images
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