A predator in the park: mixed methods analysis of user preference for coyotes in urban parks

This mixed methods study explores the relative preference people in the United States have for sharing leisure space in their local urban parks with coyotes. Two rounds of survey data (n= 482) and a series of interviews (n= 28) were conducted. In both survey samples, people preferred to share park space with coyotes less than all other species options (e.g., people experiencing homelessness, off-leashdogs). Interview data suggest that the primary reason for this lack of desire to share park space with coyotes is a perception that coyotes are dangerous for people and pets. This strong level of preference against coyotes has implications for current efforts to promote human-wildlife coexistence strategies in many urban and peri-urban locations.