iN PHOTOS: Coyote family grows up near Kamloops neighbourhood | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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iN PHOTOS: Coyote family grows up near Kamloops neighbourhood

Two coyote pups are spotted in the Kamloops area in late spring.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Michael Kennedy

Kamloops wildlife photographer Michael Kennedy observed a family of coyotes throughout the month of June as the pups grew up in a wooded area of his neighbourhood.

One of Kennedy’s photo shoots shows two young pups cuddling with one another before eventually falling asleep while the mother coyote stood nearby.

A few weeks later, the photographer captured five little pups lounging and napping, perfectly blended into their surroundings.

“It was the first time seeing coyote pups so it was a nice surprise,” he said in a message to iNFOnews.ca. “I took a lot of photos of course. The coyote family was around our neighbourhood for a couple of weeks.”

Four coyote pups sleep in a wooded area of Kamloops in June.
Four coyote pups sleep in a wooded area of Kamloops in June.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Michael Kennedy

A member of the dog family, the coyote is a social, intelligent and highly adaptable animal that can be found in a range of habitats across North America including forests, grasslands and deserts, according to International Fund for Animal Welfare. 

The dogs mate and have roughly five pups during the spring season in dens dug into the ground. At this time of year, the puppies are almost full grown and in the fall some of the litter will move on while others will stay in the pack.

The coyote follows a monogamous mating system where pairs of coyotes form strong bonds that last throughout the mating season and after as they both care for pups.

An adult coyote sits near a litter of pups in Kamloops.
An adult coyote sits near a litter of pups in Kamloops.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Michael Kennedy

Coyotes cooperate in packs to provide food, raise pups and protect their territories together. They use howling, as well as scent marking, to identify their territory, and spend much of their time hunting small mammals, frogs or fish using their keen senses of sight, smell and hearing along with fast running speeds. 

READ MORE: iN VIDEO: Mother duck in Shuswap takes boatload of babies for a swim

The coyote is smaller than a wolf, and is identified by its coarse, greyish-brown fur, bushy tail, large pointy ears and long snout.

We’d love to see what is happening in your neck of the woods, send videos or photos to news@infonews.ca.

A coyote pup sleeps in the woods in Kamloops.
A coyote pup sleeps in the woods in Kamloops.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Michael Kennedy

A pair of young coyotes fall asleep together in Kamloops.
A pair of young coyotes fall asleep together in Kamloops.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Michael Kennedy

A mother coyote stands near her babies in a Kamloops forest.
A mother coyote stands near her babies in a Kamloops forest.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Michael Kennedy

To contact a reporter for this story, email Shannon Ainslie or call 250-819-6089 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

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