In 2014, Wildlife Services killed 61,702 coyotes — one every eight and a half minutes. The agency, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, kills invasive species, nuisance birds and livestock-eating predators like wolves and black bears. Though its researchers study nonlethal alternatives, such as alarms, these are seldom implemented. Ranchers, local governments and businesses fund half the agency’s budget, and serving clients who want their wildlife problems eliminated remains its top priority
