Photos by Simone Heinrich

Coyote pups are starting to make their annual appearance in Jasper National Park.

The pups are venturing out of their dens and beginning to use their eyes, ears and noses to learn about the world around them. An average litter size of six makes for many playmates and there is generally a lot of wrestling and tussling about while the parents keep a watchful eye. Wolves, cougars and even bears can be predators at this stage in young coyote development; once they start moving away from the den to travel and hunt, cars and trains are an added danger.

Coyotes are often mistaken for wolves, however, they are differentiated by a few characteristics: size, nose and tail being the most obvious. Coyotes are much smaller than wolves; they have pointy noses and bushy tails with black tips. Also, wolves can be a variety of colours from black to very light grey, while coyotes all have the same grey/brown, colour pattern.

Mating season for coyotes is in winter—typically in February. Pairs are formed that may stay
together for years. A mated pair will use the same den for several seasons, usually dug into the side of a dirt mound. Pups are born in the spring, and progress from blind and pug-nosed, to pointy-eared, pointy-nosed brown furry puppies. This takes between a month to six weeks.

As summer arrives, the youngsters will transition from being dependent on their mother for a milk diet to excitedly greeting an adult that is bringing food home for them—initially in the form of a regurgitated meal, then as small rodents such as mice and squirrels.

Soon the pups will be ready to leave the safety of the den and will start to accompany the adults on hunting trips, learning how to find their own food. It is very important for pups to learn all they can in a short amount of time as they are mature and can be out on their own in less than a year.

Trish Tremblay // info@thejasperlocal.com