Looking for a reason to get out of the house this spring? One option is to join a local program that’s currently looking for volunteers to scare coyotes around Edmonton. Nope, this isn’t a joke. In fact, it’s backed by the folks at the University of Alberta. Here’s the scoop.

The Edmonton Urban Coyote Project is an ongoing study and program hoping to deal with Edmonton’s growing coyote population. And, the latest strategy is using something called ‘aversive conditioning’.

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Basically, the project is looking for volunteers to find coyotes or respond to coyote sightings in neighbourhoods around the city. Some volunteers will be part of the ‘control’ group, meaning they’re not to interact with the coyote whatsoever. But, the ‘treatment’ group will be essentially taking over the role of the pissed-off grandma in the Madagascar movies. Well, without actually touching the animal.

In fact, some of those in the treatment group will be given an umbrella with the face of a wolf on it to try and scare the coyotes off. And yes, this info is directly from their website.

The project is hoping that any applicants will do so in groups of 2, and are hoping to build teams of 4-8 for when they get underway. For more information on the project, click this link! Enjoy nature, folks.

Curiocity Staff

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