We think it’s way past time to rethink how people view coyotes in the Southeast. Often maligned and viewed as an invasive nuisance, they’re actually a critical part of our ecosystem just like their closely related predecessors, the red wolves. It’s nothing new for a closely related animal to fill in the gaps left whenContinue reading “Rethinking Tennessee’s Prairie Wolf”
Tag Archives: wolves
Montana’s Government Intentionally Spread Mange in Wildlife
Whenever a coyote or fox is admitted to For Fox Sake, the very first thing we do is treat them for sarcoptic mange. The few who come to us without symptoms invariably have the mites in their skin and, without treatment, will develop symptoms within a few days. No matter what part of the stateContinue reading “Montana’s Government Intentionally Spread Mange in Wildlife”
Do Coyfoxes Exist?
I’ve gotten a number of calls, comments, and texts from people who believed they had found a coyfox, a hybrid between a coyote and a red fox. It’s an understandable mistake to make. Many people, especially here in the Southeastern U.S., might encounter an animal that looks too big to be a fox but hasContinue reading “Do Coyfoxes Exist?”
Hunters Kill Wolves to “Protect” Deer
Whitetail deer are severely overpopulated in the United States, having increased from 300,000 deer in 1930 to 30 million deer today. This is bad news: deer overpopulation harms humans by contributing to auto accidents, harms forests by causing local ecosystem collapse, harms livestock when deer spread diseases that can wipe out an entire herd, andContinue reading “Hunters Kill Wolves to “Protect” Deer”
Predators Aren’t Evil
We don’t call rabbits cruel when they eat clovers. We don’t call squirrels cruel when they eat acorns. We don’t call our children cruel when they eat cereal, or even call our dogs cruel when they eat beef bones. Yet predators, in nature, get a bad reputation. I have seen people who consider themselves toContinue reading “Predators Aren’t Evil”
Is a Red Wolf Just a Coywolf?
Many people have pushed to eliminate protections for red wolves— our native wolf, here in Tennessee— by positing that they are not actually an endangered species. These anti-wolf activists claim that there is no such animal as a red wolf, and that “red wolves” are simply a hybrid between coyotes and grey wolves. This, simplyContinue reading “Is a Red Wolf Just a Coywolf?”
How Dangerous are Wolves and Coyotes?
People live in fear of the Big Bad Wolf, and his smaller cousin the coyote, even though attacks on humans are rare and deaths are nearly unheard of. Most of the ten annual deaths from wolves are due to pet wolves turning on their owners, not wild wolves seeking prey. And, in all of U.S.Continue reading “How Dangerous are Wolves and Coyotes?”
The Black Coyotes of the South
Four hundred years ago, the forests of the Southeast came alive every night with the howls of red wolves. These beautiful creatures often carried the melanistic gene, which gave them jet-black fur. Researchers believe this was because it provided an advantage when hunting in dark, densely wooded areas during the night. Mass deforestation, hunting, andContinue reading “The Black Coyotes of the South”
The Endangered Red Wolf
Few animals are as controversial as the red wolf. Conservationists have attempted several times to reintroduce these beautiful, majestic, ecologically important animals back into parts of their native range, but misconceptions and fear— as well as coyote interbreeding and disease— have stalled progress in their recovery. Eliminating the red wolf did nothing to protect humansContinue reading “The Endangered Red Wolf”
For Fox Sake Wildlife Rescue 