By Maya Rothbard
Welcome back, Cornellians! What better way to start off the semester with something unexpected?
Chaos seems to kick-off every semester at Cornell — whether it’s housing drama, course-scheduling panic or a campus-wide meme circulating on Sidechat. However, this semester kicked off with an unexpected headline: “Community Notification – Coyote Bite Cascadilla Gorge Trail.”
The email, sent out by CornellALERT, Cornell’s crime alert system, landed in our inboxes just as classes were beginning on August 25. At first, many students brushed it off — after all, we receive alerts from the University varying in content quite frequently.
But then came the proof: videos on Sidechat, Snapchat stories, Tik Toks, confirming that yes, a coyote had, in fact, been spotted (and had bitten someone) right here in Ithaca.
Upon first opening that email, my mind jumped to an unserious place. “A first-day-of-class prank?” I thought. I quickly came to realize the email was far from it, however. The email stated the exact location of where the bite occurred, along with a detailed description of the coyote in question. The following day, the University sent out another email requesting that if anyone else spots the potentially-rabid animal they report it to either Cornell University Public Safety Communications or Tompkins County Whole Health Environmental Health Division.
Suddenly, the “coyote bite” wasn’t just campus gossip. It was a real safety concern.
According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, coyotes are New York State’s largest wild dog species, making it likely for a location dominated by forests and wildlife, such as Ithaca, to attract such animals.
It’s a little unsettling to think about; imagine heading to or from class in the winter, when it’s already pitch black by 5 p.m., only to notice some primal-looking figure trailing you on the way back to your dorm. What would you do then?
And while coyotes might be the latest and most “trendy” headline, they’re hardly the only animals students encounter. Existing on Cornell’s campus is practically carrying out a field guide of how to survive in the wild. Deer trot across the Arts Quad like it’s nobody’s business. Squirrels suddenly appear everywhere, scurrying from tree-to-tree. Ducks and geese make their appearances too, blocking walking paths like they own the place. Even dorm rooms aren’t safe, as many insects, even some you didn’t even know existed, often move in uninvited. At this point, the biggest difference between us and them is that they’re not subject to the oppressive nature of modern academia.
After all, we are on their territory. This was their home before it was ours. Maybe the best thing to do is to get to know our furry co-inhabitants.
The roster of wildlife we have on campus and in the greater Finger Lakes Region is extensive and diverse. Our area feels a little bit like a zoo, and it is up to us to know how to take advantage of our accessibility to these animals. Personally, I may be known to scream at the sight of any insect and often run away from forms of wildlife — I’m not quite what you call the outdoorsy-type. But no one has to handle these situations like I do. In fact, I encourage you to take a different, more open-minded approach toward unfamiliar creatures. Of course, Cornell students have found ways to joke about it all. After the Crime Alert, Sidechat overflowed with coyote memes, and TikToks turned the “coyote bite” into a punchline.
Humor is a natural response — it makes something unnerving feel more manageable. But beneath the laughter, there’s a more serious truth. Coyotes aren’t squirrels. They’re predators. And while human encounters with them are rare, they can be dangerous when they feel cornered, threatened or desperate for food.
Walking home from my freshman year dance class, I often ran into a recurring character: the white-striped bushy-tailed skunk residing on North Campus. It seemed to have claimed the Helen Newman Quad as its territory, and I couldn’t help but worry. “What if it sprays me?”
I had expected college to throw unexpected factors at me, but I never prepared for having to dodge strange animals on my walk to class. Even on my morning walks to class at 9 a.m., I’d spot the same black-and-white buddy wandering along the trails, staircases and lawns around North Campus.
So, the real question is, how do we navigate this reality? The first thing I’d suggest is to make sure to keep your eyes peeled — you never know what’s trailing behind you.
The most important thing is to just remember to never engage in a way that jeopardizes your safety: don’t make loud sounds, don’t feed the animals, just stay “nonchalant” and walk away. Create space between you and the animal. In most cases, wildlife wants nothing more than to be left alone, and the safest thing you can do is respect that boundary.
Occasionally, Cornell’s Agriculture Quad, casually known as AG Quad, will host events where you can pet goats, sheep and all kinds of wildlife. During my freshman year, I was able to hold a baby goat for the first time, and I will never forget that.
Outside of Cornell, there are also a variety of ways us Cornellians can observe the wildlife in a safe manner. We have Shepherd’s Creek Alpacas up in Trumansburg; this particular farm, which is just 30 minutes away from Cornell’s campus, has caught many students’ attention for its adorable inhabitants. Additionally, there is The Frosty Cow, a fan-favorite ice cream place for Cornellians. I still haven’t been, but from what I've heard, it seems absolutely amazing. It's the perfect place to enjoy some tasty ice cream while also seeing the occasional pack of cows hanging out in the field.
Cornell is many things: an Ivy League university, a hub of research and, apparently, a wildlife sanctuary. The coyote bite may have been an unusual and unexpected incident, but it’s a reminder that we share our campus with far more than just students and faculty.
The giant wolf spider who decided to pay a visit to my sorority house the other day? Yes, this is unfortunately their home, too. As the semester unfolds, one thing is clear: Cornell students have made Ithaca their home, but we are hardly the first to do so. Members of the Cornell community must stick together and remember that this is just the start of the year, and we are here for a great one — coyotes are just a part of our journey.
Maya Rothbard is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at msr295@cornell.edu.
