Editor's Den

Raghul Patteri

Editor

Over many of our past editions, we have covered a variety of species that are threatened with extinction. From that perspective, this edition is different as we focus on a species that is doing really well – the Coyote. Do not let the term “doing really well” fool you, the Coyote is one of the most persecuted species ever and more than half a million are killed every year. And yet, how is the species thriving and even expanding its traditional range?

Dr. Peter Hudson takes you through the fascinating biology of these hardy canines. This edition is not just an account of the success of the Coyote in the face of heavy odds, it is also an eye-opening narrative on the intricacies of ecological balance.

A species that is little known outside North America, the Coyote’s biology has some amazing coping mechanisms which help to rebound the populations in no time when their numbers are depressed. Their abilities to adapt to urban areas and extend their ranges east, while spelling success to the Coyote, might actually be impacting the ecological balance in these regions by disrupting the patterns of predation.

As always, we are thankful for the amazing photographs contributed by our photographer friends from across the world. Your images are instrumental in telling the amazing stories of different species from a variety of places and helps us to realize our goal of using community photography for conservation.

Our next edition will focus on the Indian rhinoceros, so be ready to upload your images of these amazing species.

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