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Data from: Sociodemographic and regional differences in human-coyote interactions and human attitudes towards coyotes

Zepeda, Emily1; Elliot Noe, Elizabeth2; Schell, Christopher J.3; Sih, Andrew4

Published Apr 24, 2026 on Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.bzkh189rh

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Abstract

Attitudes and emotions shape how humans perceive and behave toward wildlife making them a key component affecting human-wildlife coexistence. In addition to direct experience with wildlife, research shows that sociodemographic characteristics and locality can influence a person’s relationship with wildlife through cultural norms, economic factors, and general experiences with nature. We focused on the interaction between humans and coyotes, a widespread North American urban mammal that has had a particularly divisive history of interactions with humans. We used data from an online survey distributed to residents of Cook County, Illinois and Los Angeles County, California to evaluate the relationship between county of residence, sociodemographics, outdoor activity participation, direct experience with coyotes, and attitudes and fear toward coyotes. Our results indicated that respondents who identified as female, respondents with low incomes, respondents who identify as Asian, Pacific Islander, or Black, and respondents from Cook County tended to have less positive attitudes and greater fear toward coyotes than male respondents, respondents with high incomes, White respondents, and respondents from Los Angeles County. Some groups’ perception of coyotes was partly explained by their lower participation in outdoor activities (i.e., respondents with low incomes, Asian and Pacific Islander respondents, respondents from Cook County) and/or their less frequent sightings of coyotes (i.e., female respondents, low-income respondents, Asian and Pacific Islander respondents). Our study suggests that in addition to direct experiences, or in their absence, societal structures based on class, race, and gender influence how people interact with and perceive wildlife. This adds to a growing literature underscoring the significance of understanding how systems of oppression shape human-wildlife interactions and experiences, emphasizing the need to incorporate an environmental justice lens to human-wildlife coexistence.