by SC Reporter Emilie Alfino
At its October 6, 2026, meeting, the Sanibel City Council approved a $206,850 coyote study. The vote was 4-1, with Council member John Henshaw voting “no.”
The study, called the “Coyote Population, Spatial Ecology, and Genetics Research Study,” is proposed by the University of Florida. Dr. Bryan Kluever, a Research Wildlife Biologist with the USDA National Wildlife Research Center Florida Field Station (Gainesville, Florida) and Co-Principal Investigator, presented a summary of the research proposal, including the rationale, proposed methods, timeline, and budget.
The study is expected to begin in November 2026, with data collection from January-December 2027, and data analysis and reporting completed in July 2028.
Coyotes raided more than 30 percent of loggerhead nests so far in 2026 — the fourth straight year above the 10 percent federal recovery limit.
The study aims to provide a coyote count the City can compare with 2015–16, a map of where and when coyotes hunt, a welfare record for every animal, and a protocol the City can repeat — to protect sea turtles, shorebirds, and a balanced island.