A coyote at Lands End on March 24, 2014. Photo by Shua
Blog reader Shua sent us this photo of a coyote that he spotted on a stone staircase at Lands End on Monday evening.
Coyote sightings are becoming very common. SFGate outdoors writer Tom Stienstra estimates there may be as many as 100 living in San Francisco. Spottings have been reported in several spots in the Richmond District including Golden Gate Park, Mountain Lake Park, Sea Cliff, Lincoln Park, as well as in the neighboring Presidio.
If you see one, consider calling the hotline for coyote sightings that has been established at (415) 554-9400. This will help Rec & Park monitor the growing population and when needed, put up appropriate signage for dog owners and park visitors.
Sarah B.
Great picture!
Agree with you. Very nice picture. 100 coyotes in San Francisco ! I didn’t think that !
Does anybody know if Coyotes are dangerous or not? What should we do if we encounter one, besides calling the hotline?
Toby, coyotes are shy animals and if you happen to see one, it’ll probably run off quite quickly. If you’re walking a dog when you see one, put your pet on leash and just in case, make lots of noise to scare the coyote off.
When I worked in the Presidio, each Spring, I would see one trotting from one wooded area to another in the very early hours of the morning or in the late evening. Basically, they were traveling whenever there was less of a chance to run into cars or people.
http://m.sfgate.com/science/article/Coyote-human-coexistence-urged-as-animals-migrate-3603672.php
Wonder what they pay in rent?
The coyote looks like he has spotted something for breakfast.
Thanks for posting my photo! Unfortunately all I had on hand was my iphone and this guy was about 40 feet away. I did tweak the exposure in Photoshop and crop in.
My dog and I have come across this particular coyote a couple times a week for the past few years. Alone he is mostly harmless – but he does have a couple of females I’ve seen him with – at which point I steer clear.
Be smart around these guys – this one was being super cute and fearless amongst the 30 or so people that walked by. A little over a year ago one was spotted at 6th and Lake with a KingCharles Cavalier in its mouth.
-shua
Per Wikipedia: The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a small spaniel classed as a toy dog by The Kennel Club.
RR – Yeah, I dont see anything about it being Coyote breakfast… maybe I should update Wikipedia?
Coyotes on Diamond Heights for several months now…
Shua, Looks like wikipedia has been updated =)
Great shot!! Keep ’em coming.
Seems like there are a lot less raccoons in and around Lincoln Park since the coyotes arrived.
If only they would “control” the gophers!
I’ve seen on three occasions the last two weeks of March, as I walk south on Park Blvd, up the hill towards Washington Blvd. – a coyote traveling east (twice) from Fort Winfield Scott area, headed east towards the cemetery and (once) headed west, the opposite trip. (One coyote each time, not sure if it’s the same animal each time but it seemed like it.)
It stops when it sees me, sometimes in the middle of Park Blvd. I stop and yell, wave my arms and stomp my foot to shoo it away and get it away from the road, but it stops and makes eye contact with me, it doesn’t flinch, it looks at me expectantly – gives me the impression others have thrown it food or enticed it towards them somehow.
PEOPLE – DO NOT ATTEMPT TO FEED WILD ANIMALS – YOU ARE ONLY CONTRIBUTING TO THEIR DEMISE.
I stopped a coyote from attacking my kids near the Sutro Baths parking lot last week in broad daylight. after I stopped it, I started filming it, and it tried to come back after my kdis again (sorry for the cursing on the video). I tried to call various SF authorities and none of them care. SF is waiting for someone’s kid to be injured or worse before they do anything about this. San Francisco is one of the most densely populated urban environment in the USA and there is no place here for apex predators to roam free. A simple search of this website reveals increasing, and bolder spottings of coyotes even on our streets. Something must be done and soon. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PJ2THCR_kc