Wild New Jersey Exclusive: Coyotes expanding in New Jersey's forests
Coyotes have recovered from decades of extermination efforts to expand their range across New
Jersey and fill some of the niches once occupied by wolves, according to researcher Charles
Kontos. Photos courtesy of Charles Kontos, www.njfishers.org.
Wildlife researcher Charles Kontos is documenting the recoveries of a number of predators throughout New Jersey, but particularly in our more mountainous and remote northwest. His exciting field research on coyotes was recently covered on NJN, and he was gracious enough to share some of his latest findings with Wild New Jersey. Click here for the full story and additional photos.
According to Kontos, his study attempts to "document regional variations in the distribution and abundance of coyotes in northern New Jersey. These coyotes are very wolf-like in appearance and tend to form packs more in the east than western coyotes and are also larger. Recent studies indicate that there has been some introgression of wolf genetics into the eastern population of coyotes although much of the science is still being evaluated."
Some of Kontos's other ongoing studies are documenting similar recoveries by the bobcat, and most notably, the fisher, a large weasel-like predator whose return to New Jersey was first confirmed by Kontos's remote camera traps in the wilds of Stokes State Forest and High Point State Park. But of all the eastern predators, the coyote has best adapted to the highly developed landscape of New Jersey and the northeast. In fact, coyotes have been found in all 21 New Jersey counties. Kontos explained their amazing recovery to Wild New Jersey.
"Despite years of being shot, trapped, and poisoned coyotes have somehow managed to expand their population," said Kontos. "Much of their success stems from coyotes being better suited for edge habitats and more tolerant of human disturbance than wolves which were eliminated from New Jersey over 100 years ago. Coyotes may now be serving a crucial role in our ecosystem once occupied by wolves by preying upon sick or injured deer and reducing the number of detrimental rodents. Hopefully we can learn to coexist peacefully with coyotes, instead of trying to haphazardly eliminate them, and as a result benefit from their natural instincts and behavior throughout the woods of New Jersey."
For Kontos, the dramatic recoveries of species like the coyote and fisher not only yield tremendous insight into the balance of New Jersey's ecosystems, but are also inspiring on a personal basis.
"I believe we are truly lucky to have a dynamic predator such as the coyote living in New Jersey," said Kontos. "Their howls have echoed throughout the hills since time immemorial. Native Americans referred to them as 'the trickster' and believed that if all other animals were eliminated, coyotes would be the last ones left."
Click here for two previous entries on Wild New Jersey's tour with Kontos and his fisher project.
For more information on Kontos' research, visit his website at NJFishers.org.
Kontos is doing an amazing job in locating and working to preserve the endangered species of wildlife in New Jersey.I like reading his articles and commend him for his work.
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While running this morning on Parsons Rd this morning (near Swartswood Lake NJ) I saw a large coyote dead on the side of the road. thought it might be a wolf. thanks for this article.
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