A juvenile female coyote got herself stuck in a San Francisco backyard last week and apparently "shut down" after not being able to manage an escape, all while the homeowner was away on vacation.
A homeowner in San Francisco with a house on a steep hill and a backyard surrounded by high walls spotted a pacing, distressed coyote on security camera footage while she was out of town.
As SF Animal Care & Control explains in a Facebook post, the homeowner looked back at earlier footage, and determined the coyote had first entered the backyard last Thursday, and was then stuck for three days.
"The homeowner had a relative meet us at the property [on Sunday] to give access," says SFACC. "When we went into the backyard, it was clear that the coyote had shut down and was just curled up on the lower level."
Photos show the animal curled up and lying under a staircase, and she was reportedly docile as SFACC officers Mullen and Clarke covered her head with a towel and got her into a net.
"The house was on a hill that was along side a large open space," says Officer Mullen. "We brought the towel covered net, placed it on the ground and slowly opened the net. She was very reluctant to get up,but with some encouragement she eventually popped up and trotted away into the brush, with quite the story to tell her family."
The agency suggests that this juvenile coyote may have been part of a larger family unit, led by a breeding pair, and they remind residents that coyotes are in the midst of pupping season, when they can exhibit more protective behaviors to guard recently born pups.
