News

Bonnie is back!

Published on April 15, 2015 under Coyote Bytes - News and Updates

 

Bonnie from trail camera video

Bonnie who was – and may still be – the alpha female of the Sachuest Pack wandered into our game cam array in late march on Indian Avenue, Middletown.  This almost 5 years to the day after we caught her with her mate Clyde in 2010.  Surprisingly, she was still wearing her collar which had failed to drop off in April 2011 as programmed.  Squinting at the video, her collar and her coloration allowed us to recognize this animal now at least 6 years old.  On April 1 2015 we recaptured her and put on a new wireless collar that should keep us posted on her wanderings for the next half year.

Bonnie and Clyde had a territory that extended from Sachuest Point north to Old Mill Lane, an area of about 10 square kilometers.  We tracked the pair for a full year in 2010 while they raised a litter of pups.  It will be interesting to see if she still occupies the same areas five years later.

Update June 2015:  years later Bonnie still roams the same territory though she did not breed this year.  See map of her movements, April through June, below.

Bonnie's travel vectors and locations from April - June 2015, showing territory patrolled and focus on area with food attractants in northern sections

Bonnie’s travel vectors and locations from April – June 2015

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]