Help us collar backyard fox and coyote for important research
(Photo by jans canon: fox; CC BY 2.0)
As an enthusiastic partner of the Twin Cities Coyote and Fox Project, we’ve encouraged FMR members and volunteers to report sightings of coyotes and foxes on iNaturalist. Last year, some folks were willing to go one step further.
This fall and winter, researchers will again be radio-collaring select canids to track their movements, learn about their diets, and sample for diseases. Project researchers are particularly interested in finding red and gray foxes this year, but all wild canid sightings are valuable.
Because many foxes and coyotes are in urban and suburban neighborhoods, we need homeowners' help to get to them!
Have you seen a coyote or fox in your Twin Cities metro backyard, or consistent tracks? And, if so, would you be willing to let researchers capture and collar these animals on your property this fall and winter? (If you filled out the form last season, no need to fill it out again unless you have new info on a past sighting.)
This is a rare, important opportunity to be a part of research to help us better understand these creatures, how they're adapting to urban areas, and inform FMR and other groups' habitat management strategies for these species.
Also, this probably goes without saying, but you can rest assured that the animals will not be harmed and will be quickly released after collaring.
If you can help, please let me know via the form below. I (Alex Roth, FMR ecologist) will reach out with additional details and connect you with the researchers leading the project.
Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).