Last night, Smokin, SeanMC and I were driving by the Woodlands Mall and we saw a coyote cross the street. This is the fourth coyote I have seen in four months. Growing up around here, I always heard them, but never saw them. Lately, since all of the building has been going on, I’ve been seeing them a lot. What worries me is this: they are being run out of their woods, their prey is running out of their woods, and assholes like this will start doing things like this:

I was educated about the true nature of the coyote after reading Barbara Kingsolver’s

Prodigal Summer

. Here are some facts about coyotes from reputable sources: Coyotes are opportunitic feeders and will eat almost anything, alive or dead, garbage, meat, fish, vegetables, berries or whatever they can find easily. Their natural diet consists mostly of rabbits, rodents and carrion. They do not normally pose a threat to livestock, however hungry coyotes may occasionally take small domestic animals or poultry. - Texas Parks and Wildlife
However, they do hunt either singularly or in relays with other coyotes. They do not usually hunt in packs as some may think. It is believed that coyotes mate for life. - Big Bend River Tours
The animals have been shot from airplanes, injected with chemicals, trapped, run down with snowmobiles and buried alive in dens. - Colorado Division of Wildlife.

Chutzpah, and Christie’s dogs are descended from coyotes. Coyotes are very nearly dogs. Can you imagine Chutzpah taking down a bull? I can’t. You wouldn’t make Thanksgiving dinner to eat all by yourself, neither would a coyote, hunting alone (which is the norm) kill a cow to eat by himself.

I was going to do this post about all of the wildlife in danger of losing their homes to the SuperWal-mart and other building in the Woodlands until I saw all of the pics on the net of guys with machine guns smiling over their prizes. Sick.

Just remember to be on the look out for animals crossing the road late at night. It’s not their fault some jerk had to have a brand new 2 bedroom box in what was once a forest, instead of buying a four bedroom house with a pool for the same price in an established neighborhood. Thanks for your patience with me while I stood on my soapbox.

Image Details: