US AND THEM

Recently, I’ve read an article in the San Francisco Chronicle about coyotes who attacked a child and killed three dogs. As a result, Federal Officials confirmed they killed the coyote responsible for the attacks. By 1925 coyotes were fully eradicated from San Francisco. However, after laws were passed banning animal killing, in 2002 coyotes began to return to San Francisco. There are an estimated 70 to 80 coyotes living in the city, and I have encountered them in our neighborhood and in Golden Gate Park.

Some time ago, there was an incident with our labradoodle Max. As you may know, there are certain areas in the park where dogs can run off-leash. On a recent walk, I unleashed Max and he suddenly darted into the bushes, barking. I forgot that my knees were hurting and ran after him, yelling at the coyote. Luckily, Max wasn’t hurt. However, since that day we only walk with Max keeping him on the leash, primarily around Blue Heron Lake where we encounter racoons, who, as other small animals like gophers and mice, serve as food for coyotes.

One day, a coyote came to our backyard when Max was outside. My wife Elfa, alerted by Max’s barking, confronted the animal yelling, and the “intruder” ran away. Coyotes are very smart animals, as you can learn from this video, “25 Surprising Facts About Coyotes That You Won’t Forget.”

The three images you can see above, captured my encounters with the creatures mentioned in this story.

Enjoy and Share!