Citation:
Scott Sugden et al, An altered microbiome in urban coyotes mediates relationships between anthropogenic diet and poor health, Scientific Reports (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-78891-1
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This article discusses the negative impacts of coyotes' consumption of human food in urban areas. A study conducted by biologists from the University of Alberta examined the impact of a diet rich in human food on urban coyotes. The researchers analyzed the stomach contents, gut microbiome, and overall health of nearly 100 coyotes in Edmonton's capital region. They discovered that coyotes consuming more human food had gut bacteria similar to humans, which could negatively affect their nutrition, immune function, and possibly behavior. The study highlights that these urban coyotes also have lower body fat, stressed immune systems, and more parasites. Lead author Scott Sugden suggests that limiting access to protein-poor human food could be a more effective way to manage coyote health and behavior than addressing aggressive and unhealthy coyotes separately. This research underscores the broader implications of human food on wildlife health and the importance of managing human-wildlife interactions in urban areas.
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This article was published through Scientific Reports, an open-access journal publishing site in the natural sciences, psychology, medicine, and engineering, making it a renowned journal publishing site. I want to use this article to explain different factors that contribute to coyotes' stress in urban areas; specifically from this article, pulling the idea that their consumption of human food contributes to negative impacts on their stress and health levels.