It’s “pupping season” in the Presidio, which sounds adorable, but in reality presents escalating danger for dogs and their owners. Because the pups here are coyote pups, their mother coyotes are vicious about protecting their dens from any perceived threats, and Presidio residents are alarmed at what they see as increasingly aggressive behavior by the Presidio's coyotes.
We have two separate (and somewhat conflicting reports) about coyote activity from Presidio, and both reports may or may not be describing the same incidents. The Examiner notes that two separate calls about aggressive coyote behavior were made Monday from Presidio residents or pedestrians. CBS 5 has an additional report saying a woman walking her dog was surrounded by an aggressive pack of coyotes.
The CBS 5 video above gives Kathryn Lasater’s side of the story, and she’s the one who says a pack surrounded her and started moving in until she began screaming. “They were aggressive and they weren’t afraid,” Lasater told CBS 5. “That’s scary.”
Of course, this could all be attributed to a wetter winter meaning more delicious (to the coyotes) rodents, ergo friskier coyote behavior. And remember, the coyotes aren’t trying to menace you it’s your dog they don’t like.
“The best course of action for dog walkers is [to maintain] general awareness of surroundings and to leave the area if they see coyotes,” Presidio Trust spokesperson Dana Polk told the Examiner. “The parents are essentially ‘telling’ the dog to ‘get away from here now.’”
According to the Presidio Trust, there is currently one breeding adult pair of coyotes in the park, as well as two young pups. Though signage and closed trails warn pedestrians of the coyotes, there is no guarantee that the free-roaming coyotes will remain in closed-off areas.
Related: Five Adorable Coyote Pups Were Rescued After Their Mom Was Killed In A Hit-And-Run
