On Fri, 8 Jul 2005 22:27:08 -0700, "Jo Firey"
wrote:


wrote in message
oups.com...


SuzQ wrote:
Catnipped said:

It was brought home to me how "tamed" most other countries are compared
to
the US when I participated in an indoor vs. outdoor cats, um, thread.
People from overseas didn't realize the dangers from wild animals that we
*still* have over here (coyotes, wolves, mountain lions, bears, etc.)

===============================================
Very true even here in Massachusetts, settled since 1620, we have coyotes
and the occasional wildcat. New Hamphire just 20 miles North of me has
bears.

No way am I letting my sweet Spicey out there.

I read recently that the coyote population is greater in the US than it
was in colonial times. Amazing, when you consider urban development,
loss of habitat and all.

Sherry


They manage quite well in suburban areas. Humans are good about providing
them with food and about getting rid of nasty old predators that used to
keep them in check. And we aren't nearly as likely to shoot them on sight
as farmers used to be.


Also, we have greatly reduced the populations of other predators that
used to compete with the coyotes: wolves, foxes, bobcats, etc. The
coyotes have proved to be more flexible at fitting in with humans than
the other species have.

--
John F. Eldredge --
PGP key available from http://pgp.mit.edu
"Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better
than not to think at all." -- Hypatia of Alexandria