Twitter Tuesday Week 9

In this week’s Twitter Tuesday, I did some research and brainstorming for the solution to coyote-human conflict by using Google Scholar and ChatGPT. First, I asked ChatGPT for some possible solutions for this issue. It provided a long list. After carefully reviewing them, I chose three and moved on to Google Scholar and credible websites for more information. The three solutions I chose are boosting public education, removing and securing food sources, and keeping pets indoors. I found the details of those solutions on the Humane Society website, Urban Coyotes Research Project, and the research article Aggression and Rabit Coyotes, Massachusetts, USA. 

The two counterarguments I made for my chosen problem and solution are from my own brainstorming and researching for details. The counterargument I made for the issue of human-coyote conflict is that we should eliminate the coyotes since they are a concern for our safety. The counter-counterargument could be coyotes are essential to the food chain and our environment. Eliminating them will lead to the overpopulation of small predators like foxes. The counterargument I made for the solution of public education is that it is not efficient and long-lasting. People would not listen to what the government said or change back to the old behavior after the education. I will counter this counterargument saying people should know how severe the problem will get if we are still ignoring this issue. The coyotes will attack our pets and kids, steal our food, and cause damage to our property. When an issue causes direct violation to people’s benefit, they usually take action. 

After reviewing my classmates’ tweets, I think one of Vinay Raja’s solutions is very effective. She is researching wolf-human conflict which is very similar to my topic. She suggests that we should utilize social media to educate the public about wolves and prevent future conflicts. Social media is one of the most popular things in the world now. It will be our best choice to spread information and awareness. People are most likely exposed to that information through social media. I like this idea a lot! 

I replied to three of my classmates’ tweets, they are Lawrence, Giselle, and Juliana. Juliana’s infographic is my favorite! But the information she shares is very sad. 3-4 million abandoned dogs are euthanized even though they are healthy. And people use dogs to catch sharks. This behavior is so inhuman and the people we are doing that should go to jail for that.

Among my five new tweets this week, my favorite one is my third solution of keeping our pets indoors. I think this solution is most effective and urgent. Most coyote attack cases happen between pets and coyotes. If we keep our pets safe, the coyote will not get a chance to eat and attack our pets. On the other hand, we should treat our pets as our family members. We should not leave them outside at night like we should not leave our children in the backyard overnight. This is an issue of human-coyote conflict, also animal abuse.