Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

Eating human food could mean trouble for urban coyotes (canis latrans community)

#1
C C Offline
https://www.ualberta.ca/folio/2021/01/ea...shows.html

RELEASE: A diet rich in human food may be wreaking havoc on the health of urban coyotes, according to a new study by University of Alberta biologists. The research team from the Faculty of Science examined the stomach contents, gut microbiome and overall health of nearly 100 coyotes in Edmonton’s capital region. Their results also show coyotes that consume more human food have more human-like gut bacteria—with potential impact on their nutrition, immune function and, based on similar findings in dogs, even behaviour.

“If eating human food disturbs the ‘natural’ coyote gut bacteria, it is possible that eating human food has the potential to affect all these other aspects of coyote health and behaviour as well,” said Scott Sugden, lead author and recent master’s graduate from the Department of Biological Sciences. “The gut microbiome has been consistently related to various aspects of human health and behaviour, and the same is true for animals,” Sugden noted.

The research also shows that urban coyotes, which eat more human food, also have lower body fat, stressed immune systems and more parasites. The study builds on Sugden’s previous research into the relationship between an anthropogenic, or human, diet and the health of urban coyotes.

“If access to human food has the potential to affect coyote health and behaviour by disturbing the gut microbiome, it's important to address the root of the issue by limiting their access to protein-poor human food,” explained Sugden. “This would likely be more effective, and easier to implement, than trying to manage aggressive coyotes and unhealthy coyotes as separate issues,” he said, adding that another U of A project will more directly address bold urban coyotes.

Sugden completed the research under the supervision of ecologist Colleen Cassady St. Clair and microbiologist Lisa Stein, both professors in the Department of Biological Sciences. The research was funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Collaborators include U of A undergraduate student Kyra Ford and Dana Sanderson from MacEwan University, as well as the City of Edmonton’s Animal Care and Control Centre and Animal Damage Control in Sherwood Park.

The study, “An altered microbiome in urban coyotes mediates relationships between anthropogenic diet and poor health,” was published in Scientific Reports.
Reply


Possibly Related Threads…
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  NZ one of few with potential to make enough food in a nuclear winter (DU community) C C 2 81 Feb 9, 2023 10:49 PM
Last Post: RainbowUnicorn
  What does it actually mean to be asexual? (ace community) C C 8 325 Dec 15, 2021 09:17 PM
Last Post: Magical Realist
  Volcanoes deep in frozen moon Europa could mean a hotbed of life (Jovian community) C C 0 89 Jun 1, 2021 03:59 AM
Last Post: C C
  Australia has a flesh-eating-bacteria problem (down under community) C C 0 124 Jul 4, 2020 06:54 PM
Last Post: C C
  Call for Government to act: Study finds most packaged food unhealthy (NZ community) C C 0 217 Aug 17, 2019 07:54 PM
Last Post: C C
  How the seaside gulls took over urban Britain (avian community) C C 0 277 Dec 26, 2018 08:14 PM
Last Post: C C
  Facebook is banning women for saying mean things about men C C 2 378 Dec 6, 2017 12:02 PM
Last Post: RainbowUnicorn



Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)