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nationalgeographic t1_j9l7biz wrote

So far, one of the most interesting things that we're seeing with some coyotes we're studying in Los Angeles is that their movements can be predicted not just by ecological factors (like vegetation, habitat, and water availability), but also by sociocultural and public health-related factors, like pollution and median income. But some of them are doing some counterintuitive things (like moving toward more polluted areas, rather than away from those areas). We have a lot of hypotheses about this, such as 1) perhaps there is more trash to access in these areas, 2) perhaps there are more rodents to eat in these areas, and 3) perhaps prey animals in these polluted areas are sicker and weaker and easier to hunt. Stay tuned!

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