Is San Francisco's coyote population growing? While no city agency officially tracks their numbers, this spring the Chron's nature writer Tom Stienstra said that he estimates that as many as 100 coyotes are living in SF, and that number is rising. At least one local man agrees with him, and warns that it's just a matter of time before one of them goes after us.
According to KRON4, several new dens of coyotes have recently been spotted in the area of the Presidio golf course, which scares folks like area resident Karl Swanson. Swanson goes straight for the worst coyote case scenario, saying, "My concern is if the population grows to a point where they're looking for food, who's to say they won't attack a human?"
Camilla Fox (yes, her real name), executive director of Larkspur's Project Coyote, says that Karl's being silly.
"Most of the time, coyotes want to have nothing to do with us," she told the Chron.
While Stienstra doesn't seem to be worried about coyotes (which, did you know that they're also known as the North American Song Dog?) going after people, he does say that dog safety is a real concern.
"A pack of coyotes will sometimes send out a yearling to entice a playful dog to follow it," he writes, "and then from a position of strength, the pack will ambush the dog."
San Francisco's Animal Care and Control doesn't paint such a vivid picture of wily coyotes, but spokesperson Deb Campbell does say that "it is not unusual for the animals to try and frighten humans with dogs who venture too close to their den," and that they'll "exhibit assertive behavior when threatened or protecting pups."
Pupping season runs from April to August, so the increases in sightings that Steinstra and Swanson attribute to an uptick in numbers might just be "due to a mated pair of coyotes protecting their den and newborn pups," Campbell said.
If you are spending time in an area that's a known coyote residence, the ACC advises that you keep your dogs leashed and that you never leave small children unattended (yes, we know). If you encounter a coyote and you fear for your safety, the ACC urges you to "'vex' them. Make loud noises, throw something (not to hit, but to frighten), wave your arms."
And to all of you who might ask "why don't we just ship 'em out or kill 'em?" Campbell has this response: "Relocation is illegal under CA State law. It is also inhumane. Lethal removal is ineffective and unethical since another coyote will simply take its place, often within weeks."
