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40 LOUISVILLE MAGAZINE 7.16 ulgc.net A BIT DEEPER patio. Now she's of looking for wildlife to chase," Dehli says with a tired laugh. "I'm like, Hero, haven't you learned?" Nally and I head of-trail, up a steep knot of brier. "Tis is where I think the den is," he says once we crest the hill and see the Presbyterian Seminary. He's had two reports of coyotes barking or approaching folks walking their dogs here. Perhaps, he says, it's just protective parenting. "Tey view any four-legged predator as potential competition for resources and a potential predator for their young," he explains. But the coyotes' behavior could be due to something else — an association of humans with food. "Tat conditioning is hard to break," Nally says. Earlier in the walk, we passed a heap of trash — Oatmeal Creme Pie wrappers, fast-food bags and soda cups. Te coyote is an opportunist. It will take advantage of an easy meal, be it trash or pet food or birdfeeders left outside. "Fortunately, they stick with their natural sources the vast majority of time," Nally says. He hasn't ruled out that someone is intentionally feeding the canines. Nally's heard a story from a few years back of a woman who lived near the zoo who was hand-feeding coyotes and other wildlife. Not surprisingly, coyote sightings went up in the area. One thing is certain: Coyotes are here to stay. Tey arrived in Kentucky from the West about 40 or 50 years ago and are all over Louisville. (Earlier this year, a small dog was attacked in Glenview.) Every city, even New York, has urban coyotes. And Nally is quick to defend their presence. "Tey're flling a void in the absence of other large predators like wolves that used to live here," he says. "Tey help maintain a little bit of balance in that whole food web." (Another nod to these wild dogs: Tey ain't such wild dogs. Te males are monogamous and help raise the pups.) No sightings at the seminary. As we head back on the trail, Nally stops two middle-aged blond women dressed in