GPS collar data recently showed that Coyote 8 was using habitat on both sides of I-85 in northeast Atlanta, which made us curious about how she is crossing the interstate. Highways are often barriers to wildlife movement, which creates issues for wildlife populations, such as habitat fragmentation and genetic isolation. Conserving habitat corridors, or stretches of land that connect habitat areas, is critical for wildlife conservation. 

Summer and Eden went to investigate potential corridors across I-85 within Coyote 8’s territory. They discovered a culvert – a structure that allows streams to flow beneath roads – with raccoon, domestic cat, and coyote tracks. Culverts can serve as corridors for wildlife since they are much safer than crossing roads directly. This is another piece of information that helps us understand coyote behavior in metro Atlanta through the GPS collars.