THIS PROGRAM IS NOW FINISHED.
The Community-based Aversive Conditioning Project is a component of the Edmonton Urban Coyote Project. Its purpose is to determine whether intimidating coyotes occupying residential neighbourhoods can measurably increase their wariness towards people. Achieving this purpose will require that negative treatment of coyotes by people is frequent and intense enough to overcome the benign and positive interactions with coyotes sometimes have with people. We invite volunteers from over all communities in Edmonton to help us to address that goal with the following objectives.
Each participating neighbourhood will monitor coyote presence, measure their behaviour, and intimidate them when appropriate.
The project will occur between January and May of 2022. Results of the 2021 season will support refinement of the study in 2022. Results of the whole project will support recommendations about future use in Edmonton and beyond of community-based Aversive Conditioning.
- Develop and refine the use of Aversive Conditioning by members of a community as a cost-effective and humane tool to improve the management of urban coyotes in Edmonton.
- Implement the program between January and May in both 2021 and 2022 with the additional goal of preventing coyotes from denning in residential areas, particularly under houses and schools, and in outbuildings.
- Measure the effects of Aversive Conditioning on the (a) immediate behavioural responses of coyotes and (b) reports by the public to 311 and the website of the Edmonton Urban Coyote Project.
Each participating neighbourhood will monitor coyote presence, measure their behaviour, and intimidate them when appropriate.
The project will occur between January and May of 2022. Results of the 2021 season will support refinement of the study in 2022. Results of the whole project will support recommendations about future use in Edmonton and beyond of community-based Aversive Conditioning.