Coyote howl - Cathy Illg - Wildlife Photographer of the Year2007

2007: Behaviour: Mammals - Highly Commended

Cathy Illg Enlarge image Coyote howl

Cathy Illg (United States)

Coyote howl

'I was shooting landscapes in California's Death Valley National Park, when just before sunset a pack of hunting coyotes appeared. They chased after each other playfully across the salty, sandy ground, kicking up the dust into golden clouds and howling. Then, they paused against a backdrop of mesquite trees, and howled in unison. I'd never seen that before.' The coyote lives in North and Central America. It eats what it can find, from fruit and birds to sheep and even domestic waste. Because of this, it is fiercely persecuted by humans. Traps, guns, poison even roadkills have been used. In some areas, such as Yellowstone National Park, the reintroduction of wolves has been a more efficient method of control.

Canon EOS 20D + Canon 100-400mm IS lens at 400mm; 1/160 sec at f10; ISO 400.