VOA标准英语2010年-Coyotes at Home in American Backyards

Coyotes are wild animals that began moving into metropolitan¹ areas about two decades ago.

America's Wild West was known for the phantom² howls of coyotes, which were often heard but seldom seen.

However, in the past 20 years, these desert dogs, indigenous³ to the North American wilderness⁴, have been moving into suburbs and cities across the continent.

Urban coyotes

About two-dozen coyotes live at the Indiana Coyote Rescue Center.

Among them are Alex, Jane, and Loki, who were found as pups near a water treatment plant in Ohio. Center director, CeAnn Lambert, says the worker who found the wild dogs thought she was saving them by bringing them into the plant with her dog, who'd recently had puppies.
 

"She brought the dog into the treatment plant and let the coyote puppies nurse on the dog, which made them habituated to the dog and socialized to all the workers in the plant and they were deemed not releasable," says Lambert.

Whether finding their way onto airport runways in Dallas, Texas, or injuring toddlers in upstate New York, urban coyotes are becoming commonplace.

But, unless they're causing trouble, wildlife biologist Chris Anchor says most Americans are unaware⁵ that coyotes are living in their city and when they catch a rare glimpse of one, have no idea what they're really seeing.

"Quite often people will see them and just think they are someone's German Shepherd as opposed to a wild animal," says Anchor.

Coyotes are predators⁶, which can be a cause for concern for their human neighbors.
 

And they are wild animals. No one knows for certain why they began moving into metropolitan areas about two decades ago, but Anchor - who oversees⁷ a forest preserve near Chicago - says it may simply be their nature.

"They're extremely opportunistic. They're a species we call a generalist, so they are able to exploit the habitats that are available, even in close proximity⁸ to humans."

Unlike other wild animals - such as deer, Canada Geese and beavers⁹ - that have made themselves at home in urban settings - coyotes are predators, which often concerns their human neighbors.

Mitigating¹⁰ human-coyote conflicts

Exterminating¹¹ coyotes isn't always practical or safe, so Anchor worked with fellow biologist Stan Gehrt, a professor at Ohio State University, to launch the Urban Coyote Project, to study the animals and learn how to mitigate¹² human-coyote conflicts. Gehrt says what they found was surprising.

"For the most part these coyotes aren't nuisances at all. It's a little misleading for people because they only see the nuisances, the successful ones are the majority," says Gehrt. "And they're successful because you don't see them. They go about their business without impacting people."

He points out there are at least 350 coyotes in the Chicago area, with no recorded human attacks. In contrast, there are an average of 2,500 dog bites each year.

 
The Cook County, Illinois, Coyote Project
By trapping urban coyotes and putting radio collars on them to track their movements and behavior, scientists have learned coyotes learn much faster than domestic dogs do.
Keeping track

By trapping urban coyotes, taking fluid samples, radio collaring them, and tracking their movements, the biologists have learned a vast amount.

They now know the wild dogs are monogamous and live in small packs of about 6, with only the alpha male and female having a litter. Gehrt says they've also observed that coyotes learn much faster than domestic dogs do, and can safely cross busy highways and easily avoid traps set for them.

"The coyotes learn from us. They learn areas to avoid, certain traps to avoid, so then we have to adjust to them. So it's a constant game, if you will, between them and us. So we're constantly working on that as well."

Urban coyotes have also learned where the easiest food sources are - uncovered garbage cans and small pets left outside at night.

Gehrt says that means people need to change some of their behaviors. "I'm not telling people that they need to learn to live with coyotes because I have an affinity¹³ for coyotes and they're really neat animals, it's just simply the position they have put us in."

While living with wildlife in the backyard may pose some minor¹⁴ lifestyle changes for urban dwellers¹⁵, both Gehrt and Lambert stress that coyotes provide an important service.

"They do have a place in our ecosystem¹⁶. They can kill and take out the sick and the weak of other animals, they clean up carcasses," says Lambert. "There was a study done at Wolf Park years ago that found that one coyote, if only eating mice, can eat over 10,000 mice in a year."

As coyote sightings are reported from south Florida to Washington D.C. to California, Stan Gehrt emphasizes that these wild dogs are now in every major U.S. metropolitan area.

He's eager to see if the findings of his Urban Coyote Project hold true throughout the country. He says it's important that everyone is aware of these creatures, because whether we like it or not, coyotes are here to stay.
 

1 metropolitan   

adj.大城市的，大都会的

参考例句：

• Metropolitan buildings become taller than ever.大城市的建筑变得比以前更高。
• Metropolitan residents are used to fast rhythm.大都市的居民习惯于快节奏。

2 phantom   

n.幻影，虚位，幽灵；adj.错觉的，幻影的，幽灵的

参考例句：

• I found myself staring at her as if she were a phantom.我发现自己瞪大眼睛看着她，好像她是一个幽灵。
• He is only a phantom of a king.他只是有名无实的国王。

3 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

4 wilderness   

n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

5 unaware   

a.不知道的，未意识到的

参考例句：

• They were unaware that war was near. 他们不知道战争即将爆发。
• I was unaware of the man's presence. 我没有察觉到那人在场。

6 predators   

n.食肉动物( predator的名词复数 )；奴役他人者（尤指在财务或性关系方面）

参考例句：

• birds and their earthbound predators 鸟和地面上捕食它们的动物
• The eyes of predators are highly sensitive to the slightest movement. 捕食性动物的眼睛能感觉到最细小的动静。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

8 proximity   

n.接近，邻近

参考例句：

• Marriages in proximity of blood are forbidden by the law.法律规定禁止近亲结婚。
• Their house is in close proximity to ours.他们的房子很接近我们的。

9 beavers   

海狸( beaver的名词复数 )； 海狸皮毛； 棕灰色； 拼命工作的人

参考例句：

• In 1928 some porpoises were photographed working like beavers to push ashore a waterlogged mattress. 1928年有人把这些海豚象海狸那样把一床浸泡了水的褥垫推上岸时的情景拍摄了下来。
• Thus do the beavers, thus do the bees, thus do men. 海狸是这样做的，蜜蜂是这样做的，人也是这样做的。

10 mitigating   

v.减轻，缓和( mitigate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Are there any mitigating circumstances in this case ? 本案中是否有任何情况可以减轻被告的罪行？ 来自辞典例句
• A sentencing judge is required to consider any mitigating circumstances befor imposing the death penalty. 在处死刑之前，要求量刑法官必须考虑是否有任何减轻罪行之情节。 来自口语例句

11 exterminating   

v.消灭，根绝( exterminate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Man is exterminating too many species for zoos to be much help. 人类正在导致过多物种灭绝，动物园也无济于事。 来自辞典例句
• Germany is exterminating the Jews of Europe. 德国正在灭绝欧洲犹太人。 来自辞典例句

12 mitigate   

vt.（使）减轻，（使）缓和

参考例句：

• The government is trying to mitigate the effects of inflation.政府正试图缓和通货膨胀的影响。
• Governments should endeavour to mitigate distress.政府应努力缓解贫困问题。

13 affinity   

n.亲和力，密切关系

参考例句：

• I felt a great affinity with the people of the Highlands.我被苏格兰高地人民深深地吸引。
• It's important that you share an affinity with your husband.和丈夫有共同的爱好是十分重要的。

14 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

15 dwellers   

n.居民，居住者( dweller的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes. 城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They have transformed themselves into permanent city dwellers. 他们已成为永久的城市居民。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 ecosystem   

n.生态系统

参考例句：

• This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
• We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。