Coyote (Canis latrans), near Thompson Resort, Alberta

Much less secretive than their larger cousins the wolves, coyotes appear around (and even in) town sites in the Canadian Rockies quite often. This one was quite far away from the nearest town though, and judging from its steady pace, had important business elsewhere.

Coyotes have been hunted extensively for decennia, and the number of them that were killed in traps, were shot or poisoned is shocking. Still they managed to survive. Not just that, due to their capability of adapting to new situations and new food sources, and thanks to their great stamina, they were able to reproduce faster than that they were killed, so that the population is on a higher level than ever! This seems to be one species of large predator which does not have too much of a problem with the high level of human activity in the area.

Image number: AWMC1189