Early each evening in the spring of 2020, a family of 12 coyote pups would come out of the bush to play.  They were inquisitive, rambunctious and shone with the beauty of their innocence. We watched them -- and they kept one eye on us -- as they explored and interacted.   As the days progressed, there were fewer, but their enthusiasm for each other, and life did not diminish.  Though maligned by many, coyotes and other predators are critical to a health eco-system.