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Eighty percent of Americans oppose violent wildlife-killing contests, and a bill introduced in Congress would ban them.

The Carolina Coyote Classic is not only cruel, but also pointless. Hunters only claim that coyotes are “overpopulated” to justify slaughtering them, so that they can then claim that deer are “overpopulated” and gun them down as well. But as any true conservationist knows, killing coyotes commonly causes their populations to increase. In close-knit coyote packs, only the alpha male and female reproduce. When one of them is killed, the social structure is disrupted, and surviving pairs begin producing litters.

North America’s wild dogs are essential for healthy ecosystems. They commonly mate for life and are among the most faithful of all species.

National Geographic reported on the results of a coyote-fidelity study, concluding, “these canine cousins are loyal to their mates and never stray. Not ever. . . . These canids are remaining faithful both in good times and bad.”

Native Americans regarded coyotes with respect and awe. It wouldn’t hurt us to do the same.

Michelle Reynolds,
Senior Editor
The PETA Foundation