Perhaps one reason for the wide geographic presence of the coyote is its indiscriminate appetite. In fact, a coyote family has even been spotted in Manhattan, among the many red brick buildings known as Stuyvesant Town on the East Side. They are now found in the eastern states. Most of us think of the coyote as inhabiting the prairie, deserts and mountains of the western United States, but they are very adaptable animals. I had read that coyotes had been heard howling-and sometimes even spotted-in the Refuge. Then I realized that I was looking at a coyote!! Yes, a coyote right there in the Refuge.Ĭoyote Pouncing. Wolves average about 90 pounds in weight, and this creature was maybe half that weight. In fact, he did not have a large and heavy head, a wide forehead, or the large feet that give wolves such good mobility on snow and ice. But, this animal in front of us was timid and did not have a long-enough snout to be a wolf. So, if this was not a dog, what was this creature? Could it be a wolf?!! I remembered that today’s pet dogs had all descended from wolves thousands of years ago, and that some dogs resemble wolves even to this day. And, if this were truly a domestic dog, would it not be advancing to us: wagging its tail as if welcoming a long-lost friend? A dog would at least want to come to us and sniff me and the boys. But as I looked more closely, this creature was not chunky enough in body or legs to be a German shepherd. At first, I did wonder if this animal might be a young German shepherd. Over the years, animals in nature have always interested me. My grandson’s next thought was to go and pet the dog. Was it really a dog? Could it really be someone’s pet, which had strayed deep into the Great Swamp? We stopped in our tracks, with our eyes fixed on this furry creature. He pointed to the bushes on the left, to a grey mass of fur that had two bright eyes intently studying us. As we walked along a remote trail, my older grandson signaled for us to stop.
It was a beautiful summer day, with plenty of sunshine. Some time ago I took my two young grandsons on a hike in the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.
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