Here's why:
* Parental Care: Coyotes are known for their strong parental instincts. They fiercely protect and care for their pups, providing them with food and teaching them survival skills.
* Resources: Coyotes typically have an abundant food supply, making cannibalism unnecessary. They hunt small mammals, birds, and even insects.
* Social Structure: Coyotes live in family groups called packs. These packs work together to raise the pups and ensure their survival. Eating their offspring would be detrimental to the pack's overall success.
However, there are rare exceptions:
* Extreme Hunger: In extreme cases of starvation, a coyote might resort to eating its pups if other food sources are completely unavailable. This is a last resort and incredibly uncommon.
* Disease or Injury: If a pup is severely injured or sick, a mother coyote might decide to abandon or even kill it, though not necessarily to eat it. This is a survival strategy to protect the other pups and the pack from potential disease or parasites.
Overall, coyote cannibalism is extremely rare and usually only occurs under dire circumstances. It's important to remember that coyotes are wild animals with complex social structures and survival instincts.