The Urban Wild University of Wisconsin Study Chronicles Fox, Coyote in City

Madison, Wis. — There’s no shortage of foot traffic on the University of Wisconsin campus.



Just after sunrise on a midwinter Saturday, though, most students and other area residents are ensconced indoors.



No matter — the snowy landscape tells the story.



A path along University Bay Drive is stamped with human boot prints and bicycle tracks.



Just to the side, something of the four-legged variety has left a trail.



“Coyote,” said David Drake, associate professor in the department of forest and wildlife ecology and a UW Extension wildlife specialist. “Looks like a pair.”



The tracks bisect the path and head east into a tangle of cattails.



Drake, graduate student Marcus Mueller and master trapper Mike Schmelling grab supplies and hike into the frozen marsh.



The task at hand: set traps for red foxes or coyotes. If caught, the animals would be fitted with a radio collar and released.



The work is part of the UW Urban Canid Project. The study, in its first official year, hopes to get 30 red foxes and 30 coyotes “on the air” and learn about how and where these wild animals live in the midst of a city of more than 243,000 people.



Drake is the principle investigator while Mueller will perform most of the field work. Schmelling is a volunteer adviser and expert on trapping techniques.



“Many people associate wildlife research with remote, rural areas,” Drake said, sidling through cattails in sight of the Capitol dome. “Well, certain wildlife species have adapted very well to urban areas and need study, too.”



The presence of wild canids on the Madison campus is no secret.



Last year a pair of red foxes reared their kits near buildings on Linden Drive, including one den at Van Hise Hall.



The kits created a sensation when they began sunning and playing just a few steps from the sidewalk.



Crowds of students and others stopped to watch and photograph the animals.



The area had to be roped off, Drake said, though the foxes didn’t appear fazed by the people.



Fans created a Tumblr page with photos, videos and updates of the animals.



The researchers, too, are using social media to increase awareness of the project and encourage interaction with the public.



As an example, the public is encouraged to accompany the researchers on trap checks.



Drake initiated a pilot of the project last winter. Two coyotes and one red fox were fitted with radio collars. Only one coyote is still alive; the other two animals were killed by vehicles.



“We suspect vehicles will be a leading cause of mortality,” Mueller said. “But we’ll be looking at disease and competition from other animals, too.”



Mueller, who has an undergraduate degree in wildlife from UW-Stevens Point, was hired this year as the study ramps up. Funding for the work is coming from several sources, including the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, Lakeshore Nature Preserve and the Renewable Resources Extension Act.



The project is being conducted under a special research permit. Public hunting and trapping is not allowed on the downtown campus.



Mueller said he got interested in urban wildlife when he saw a film of a coyote that waited for a red light to cross a street in a busy city.



“It’s a fascinating area of study,” Mueller said. “How do they get by, even thrive, in a city?”



At this point in the project, the animals’ locations are recorded four times a week.



Later this year, the daily observations will be increased, including hourly checks on some animals over a 24-hour period.



The number of red foxes and coyotes appears to be increasing in urban areas, Drake said, as they discover the area holds ample resources. Last year, Drake identified 18 individual red foxes on the UW campus.



A long-running study in Chicago estimates that city has at least 2,000 coyotes, according to Drake.



In the preface to “Urban Carnivores: Ecology, Conflict and Conservation,” the editors state: “For some carnivores, urban centers may serve as population sinks on the landscape, whereas for others, cities represent refugia.”



Red fox and coyote sightings can lead to concerns about public safety. The animals can carry rabies; however, they very rarely attack humans. Neither the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention nor local and state health departments have classified coyotes or foxes as a human safety risk. According to wildlifehotline.org, a wildlife health website, most coyote attacks on people are directly related to the animals being fed by humans.



Thirty yards east of the pedestrian path, Schmelling eyes a game trail tunneling through the icy marsh.



“This is a key travel corridor,” Schmelling said. “Let’s make a set here.”



Schmelling is an expert on the use of cable restraints and has consulted state and provincial wildlife departments as they legalized the devices.



The trap is a loop of thick wire that is suspended just above the ground. When an animal walks into the loop, it is designed to close and hold, but not choke, the animal. A stopper on the cable determines how far the loop can close.



Among wildlife researchers, cable restraints are considered excellent tools to safely capture and release animals, Schmelling said.



Within 10 minutes, he and Mueller have placed three new sets. The men gather their gear and walk back to a parking lot; joggers and dog walkers pass within yards of some of the traps.



There is perhaps no more challenging environment to conduct a trapping project.



In addition to the hustle and bustle of the city and campus, there is the increased possibility of opposition from trapping opponents.



The researchers are hopeful an open, educational approach will help avoid conflicts.



“It’s really cool to be starting this conversation with people,” Mueller said. “Once most people hear what we’re doing, they get very supportive.”



A few traps have been knocked over, but it’s not clear by whom or why.



The project has adopted an “animal care” protocol with higher than normal standards. For example, traps will be checked twice daily — law requires once a day — and will be “closed down” in especially cold weather.



After adding sets to the marsh, the researchers check areas along Observatory and Linden drives. Tracks of fox and coyote are seen along one building.



In most settings, the coyote drives out the smaller fox. But it appears the two species may be living in the same areas of the urban environment more often than in wild habitats, Drake said. It’s one of the questions the research hopes to answer.



The researchers finish the trap checks on campus; all are empty. If an animal is caught, it is tranquilized, blood and fecal samples are taken, it is weighed and it is fitted with a radio collar. It is then given a reversal drug and released.



Subsequent testing will reveal any diseases the animal is carrying and what it may have been exposed to in the past. Wild canid health is a two-way street - foxes and coyotes can give diseases to domestic animals, but they can contract diseases from domestic sources, too.



So far this year, one male red fox was caught and collared in late January. Mueller hopes the trapping success will pick up in coming days and weeks. Red fox and coyote are in the middle of the breeding season and are typically very active.



Drake said he hopes the project will help “promote peaceful coexistence and reduce the number of negative interactions with urban wildlife.”



He lists several ways urban residents can mitigate problems, including not leaving pet food outside and keeping their dogs on a leash.



“If you see a fox or coyote, enjoy them from a distance,” Drake said. “And never feed them. One of the best things we can do for these animals is to help them maintain a healthy fear of humans.”





