How Wild is Wild?

[Rick]

My wife and I just returned from a trip to Arizona. We were on the Arizona Trail near the Grand Canyon when we walked upon the fellah below (or he walked up on us). He (she?) showed no aggression but I thought it odd that he didn't high tail it in the other direction. He seemed perfectly healthy and the only explanation we could come up with is that he has become too acclimated to humans. I just wonder how many hikers have fed him or didn't bother to clean up after themselves allowing him to associate people with food. It sure seemed like he was looking for a handout. We obviously left him alone and continued on our way as did he.

[BraggSurvivor]

I'd bet he was being fed. Normally they high tail it.

[Tahyo]

I'm with Bragg on this one. Coyotes are normally very seldom seen unless from a distance. I've lived here 25 years and hear them all the time, but only saw a couple way off in the distance.
Now, if you ask the folks that live in Chicago about them..... See following link from last year.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17950832/

[Tahyo]

Something came to mind after I posted my last one. Does anyone remember the old Walt Disney movie back in the 60s about a coyote. I want to say it was something like "Chico the misunderstood coyote".

[Rick]

We actually saw one taking a dump along side the road on the northeast side of Phoenix. This was in town. You'd be hard pressed to get within a couple of acres of one here in the Midwest. One whiff of a human and they are gone. But they seemed to be almost domesticated out there...at least those two.

My wife and I discussed our "encounter" quite a bit and, as I said, our best guess is he was being fed by tourists. The sad part is if this animal gets too close and actually bites someone he will probably pay for it with his life.....after we had trained him. Our fault and he will pay the penalty.

I didn't make any attempt to make eye contact or talk to it other than to snap a couple of pictures and just kept walking along as if we were just another animal in the wild. He was kind enough to allow us into his home for a short time and we both thought that was pretty awesome of him.

[Rick]

Tahyo - Here you go:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0205814/

[wareagle69]

i have many photos of people feeding all sorts of criiters by hand in the canyon it is a shame did you see any deer on the lawn there at bright angel trail? did you do what i suggested to get in the canyon?

[Rick]

No, I didn't. It was $25.00 per car so I ponied up the money and went in. Never saw one deer or elk the whole trip which was really surprising to me. I did see a number of bizarre people, though. I took a picture of a couple that will probably not be adding to the gene pool in this lifetime. See the pic.

They did have a really great sign there that said something like:

People don't often fall from the canyon cliffs but seldom survive the "initial" 300 foot fall.

I think the word initial was what caught my attention.

The squirrels were just as tame as a dog. They would sit on the back of the bench and just wait for you to feed them.

[crashdive123]

Nice pics Rick. Sounds like a good trip.

[Rick]

That was a good post Tahyo. Apparently Mr. Coyote knew just what he wanted. No place better to stay cool than a cooler. You just wonder if the dog actually became domesticated in a similar fashion. He picked up the human left overs and learned that was a whole lot easier than trying to catch a mouse. Before you know it, each had trained the other and the rest, as they say, is history.

[Catfish]

I lived in Arizona for 9 years and am afraid to say, had many encounters with idiots feeding the wildlife. Other than dogs and cats, too many people have only interacted with animals at petting zoos and think the wilderness is some kind of theme park.

I once got into it with a family of Griswald's leaning out of their SUV windows, feeding pizza to a coyote. They seemed genuinely surprised that anyone would have a problem with what they were doing.

"But he's so cuuuuuuuuuuute!"

Bleh.

[Tahyo]

Years ago when they were developing parts of Fla. for housing, they would develop areas that were either alligators habitat or pretty close to it. Then you'd get the people that would move in and think it was soooo cool to see an alligator swimming around in a pond or what ever. Then they would go to feeding it, which is the worse freaking thing you can do with a gator. It'll get use to you really quick.

Well the next think you know, little Bobby is sitting on a pier dangling his feet in the water splish spashing around and one of those gators would come up and either grab a foot or if a bigger one was there, drag little Bobby under water and snag him up in some underwater roots to tenderize him.

Then you'd get all those people that thought having a gator in their pond as a cool thing wanting to exterminate every gator in the state of Fla.

[Catfish]

We have that mentality here in Colorado too Tahyo. ("tootahyo" say that fast - it's fun). People move up to the mountains so they can be close to nature then by day 3 they're on the phone to the DoW asking to have wild animals relocated. After all, what about the children?

I kid you not, there's a local forum I occasionally frequent and someone was recently asking for advice on how to sue their realtor because "they didn't tell us there were mountain lions up here."

[Tahyo]

Catfish, My wife's sister and husband just bought a house out in one of the western suburbs a few year ago. There is a lot of rural area surrounding the sub-division. Prime coyote habitat and now that there are people living there, well the coyotes are picking off the little dogs on a regular basis out there.

My sister in law owns one of those little "froo froo" dogs, which I do happen to think he's a cool dog because he's old and sort of wise now, but still..., he's a coyote snack waiting to happen and it almost did this past winter. They let him out and luckily they didn't turn their back on him for long, but when they open the door to let him in, he was running for his life from a coyote hot on his tail. My niece is the one that saw it and screamed, which scared the "yote" off.
She called my wife to tell me what happened and after they got off the phone I told my wife that knowing her sister and husband, they'll be on the phone with someone demanding that they come and get rid of the yotes. Sure enough.. they did and were basically told there was nothing anyone could do and it was up to them to watch their pets.

This went over like a turd in a punch bowl with my sister in law and her husband. The best I can explain their mentality would be, if there was ever a SHTF scenario, they would be some of the first to perish.

[Rick]

I sort of understand the feed the animal mentality. I don't agree with it but I understand it. I may have stupidly placed my own self in jeopardy this week without even realizing it. We had stopped at an outdoor shelter that had a nice view and I wanted to step into the shade for a bit and take some pictures. Bees were swarming a column and I thought, "Cool". I like bees. Picture time. I stepped to within four feet of the column and suddenly these little bells were going off in my head (besides the normal ones and the conversations I always hear). I slowly backed away and my wife asked what was the matter. I said how do I know those aren't killer bees? I still don't but would hate to have found out the hard way.

When folks are outside of their "environment" they are ignorant of the risks. They don't see the long term effect of feeding those animals or trying to approach some of them. I saw insects and plants this week that I've never seen before and consequently kept my distance because they were alien to me (or me to them). How many others would have said, "Hey, look! How cute."

And by the way, for those of you from AZ, They had these honkin' big lizards in Phoenix that were black with a brown/tan tail. About a foot or so long. I can't find them on the net. Anyone know what they are?

[Catfish]

And by the way, for those of you from AZ, They had these honkin' big lizards in Phoenix that were black with a brown/tan tail. About a foot or so long. I can't find them on the net. Anyone know what they are?

Sounds like a Gila Monster. I never encountered one in the wild, but they're vicious little buggers. The article says "it can bite quickly and holds on tenaciously." I believe it's jaws are like those of a pit bull. As in, once they have a hold, the jaw locks and they don't let go.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gila_monster

[SGTD00m]

Is this him?
Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.
its a COMMON CHUCKWALLA they differ in color and size slightly swing by this address http://http://www.reptilesofaz.com/herp-lizards.htmland see if this is the one u saw

[Rick]

I guess I could have posted a pic. That would have been easier, huh? I didn't get any good shots because those things were like greased lightening. Any movement and the only thing left was a puff of dust. Anyway, my guess is it's a variant of the Common Chuckwalla. It looks pretty close. The tail was a solid brown/tan rather than ringed. Thanks!!

[FVR]

Many a child journeys
this high to be different.

To get from here what their natures
couldn't get them below.

lt comes to nothing.

[LadyTrapper]

Sounds like this coyote has had no reason to fear human scent...on a trial in a park I assume that would of course not have hunting or trapping seasons imposed.
The animal becomes habituated and fearless...associating human scent with an easy meal rather than danger.
Cool pics however!
Looks like you had a fine trip.