Previous Research

Novel Object Behavioral Test

This isn’t the first time coyotes in metro Atlanta have been studied. In early 2020, UGA faculty and students set up 60 wildlife cameras across 18 counties in North Georgia. In front of half of the cameras was a “novel object,” a set of small posts connected by string and baited with a scent to attract coyotes.

Over four weeks, the study collected more than 2,800 videos, and now the researchers are working to understand how coyotes reacted to the objects. The test is designed to examine the boldness behavior of coyotes and see if there is a difference between rural and urban coyotes.

Research was conducted as part of the University of Georgia student Ben Carr’s undergraduate senior thesis. Photos provided by Ben.