Originally Posted by
canyoncaver
Coyotes are expanding in range and number because they are filling the ecological niche that was once held by the wolf. As wolves were eradicated across the landscape, the coyote moved in. This is why you see coyotes in places that they never lived historically, like downtown New York and Boston. I'm not suggesting that we all live next door to wolf packs, just that the abundance of coyotes has been created and abetted by human practices. In Yellowstone, since the re-introduction of the wolf in 1995, coyote numbers have collapsed. They are once again 2nd dog instead of top dog. In any ecosystem that the wolf has been extirpated from, the coyote is top dog.