Is a black coyote’s life more precious than a common gray one? For many people, the answer is “yes.” A new study by university researchers found that color is a considerable factor in our perception of animals, our collective decisions for conservation, and how we interact with them.
The study analyzes human perceptions of coyotes, eastern gray squirrels, white-tailed deer, and black-tailed deer when they exhibit rare coloring due to melanism, leucism, or albinism. Researchers reported that white or black animals are sometimes seen as rare, myth-like, mysterious, or spiritually significant, making them more valuable to humans than commonly colored (“wildtype”) animals.
White deer seem to be particularly cherished, as many communities forbid hunters from killing them. According to researchers, an albino white doe may evoke feelings of innocence and cause people to see the animal as an individual who is capable of feeling and worthy of empathy.
While deer and squirrels are considered cute by those who love them and “pests” by those who don’t, researchers said coyotes play a more intricate role in the human psyche. They may be feared as “dangerous” predators – or beloved in some cases, like Carmine, a black coyote seen in Georgia. Carmine gained internet fame for his habit of befriending neighborhood dogs – going so far as to play with a chew toy and attempt to enter a dog door, Atlanta Magazine reported.
The public reacted to Carmine with mixed opinions. Some people reportedly considered the coyote a threat and expressed a desire to shoot him, but others in the community perceived Carmine as a rarity worth protecting. He was eventually relocated to a wildlife sanctuary.
“The psychology of scarcity likely contributed to Carmine’s relocation because Georgia law mandates euthanizing any trapped coyote, so his rare and distinctive coloration allowed him to evade the law,” researchers noted in the study.
Unfortunately, rare coloration in animals can also make them easier targets of wildlife killing contests or other inhumane practices. A white coyote made news after a photographer captured the rare animal on camera, prompting a plea from the community for hunters to leave the animal alone.
As stewards of the earth, we have a responsibility to recognize our biases and prevent unnecessary cruelty. Scientists project that humans and wildlife will increasingly share habitats in the future, so it’s critical that we coexist peacefully.
Lady Freethinker commends the authors of this insightful study, which could pave the way for a better understanding of human-wildlife relationships and stronger protections for animals.
