Latest news with #coyotes
CBS News
2 days ago
- General
- CBS News
San Francisco dog owners urged to stay alert amid coyote pupping season
It's coyote pupping season, and this is the time of year people may encounter more confrontations with them. Those at Golden Gate Park recently noticed park rangers educating dog owners about an incident over the past weekend. Howling coyotes at Golden Gate Park near Lindley Meadows, a popular spot where dog owners walk and play with their pups. Brandon Hartstein and his dog Oden encountered a pack of coyotes in the area about a year ago. "We were walking on a trail that's not too popular and all of a sudden, three coyotes just appeared and started kind of stalking us," said Hartstein. Similar stories of coyote encounters are surfacing this year. Lauren Roche watched her dog get chased by coyotes. "She was running along the grassy area and I was running in the path that doesn't have cars, and there were two coyotes that started chasing after her," said Roche. "And I look over, wow, they're going so fast, and it was two coyotes chasing after her. Luckily, she was fast enough to outrun them, and I called her back over and they ended up going away." Signs like these are posted in Golden Gate Park to warn people about these potential run-ins with coyotes. Experts say coyotes are just protective during pupping season and are not displaying unprovoked aggression. They say the best thing to do is to shorten the leash and walk in the other direction. Something Hartstein tried to do. "We kept on walking away," said Hartstein. "I was making loud sounds trying to scare them off, and eventually we started running. Luckily, a biker came by and I flagged him down and he helped to chase them off." Some dog owners have noticed coyotes getting bolder and becoming used to humans in their territory. They say with these canines all over the Bay Area, the key is to limit conflicts and coexist with each other. "I just kind of try to adjust my way of living because it's part of where they live," said Roche. "I wouldn't have to adjust for someone coming into my home."
New York Times
3 days ago
- General
- New York Times
How We Photographed Coyotes in San Francisco
Times Insider explains who we are and what we do and delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism comes together. Two years ago, when the freelance photographer Loren Elliott moved back to San Francisco after a stint in Sydney, Australia, he quickly noticed a new feature of city life: signs warning people of coyotes were everywhere. He had always loved wildlife journalism and had honed his skills while photographing koalas and platypuses that had weathered the ferocious Australian wildfires of 2020. Could he pull off a documentary look at urban coyotes, too? The answer, as New York Times readers saw last week in the story 'The Coyotes of San Francisco,' proved a definitive yes. He managed to capture photographs of coyotes living in one of the densest cities in the country — climbing out of their dens on golf courses, hanging out on baseball fields and howling mere feet from a woman jogging past. After writing the words to accompany Loren's stunning photography, my inbox was filled with different versions of the same question: How did he do that? Frankly, I only knew the general outlines of the answer, so I interviewed him to get more details. Loren explained to me that he had tried several times in the fall of 2023 to photograph coyotes at Bernal Hill, one of the city's prime locations for the wild canines. He didn't see a single one. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
New York Times
24-05-2025
- Science
- New York Times
Quote of the Day: Prowling Neighbor a City Thought It Shed
'Did they walk over the Golden Gate Bridge? That's my top theory.' CHRISTINE WILKINSON, a carnivore ecologist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, on the mystery of coyotes re-emerging in San Francisco in the early 2000s after vanishing for 75 years.
The Sun
23-05-2025
- General
- The Sun
Watch hero puppy Duke defend street from pack of bloodthirsty coyotes fighting off beasts for 45 agonizing minutes
THIS is the courageous moment a heroic puppy battles a pack of savage coyotes for nearly an hour to defend its local street. The neck-and-neck dog fight was captured on home security footage - and showed five bloodthirsty animals take on the one-year-old stray. 3 3 Now named Duke, the Labrador Retriever-German shepherd mix fought off the ravenous canines in suburban Los Angeles. The epic battle took place earlier this month in the early morning hours in Brea, California. Incredible footage shows the hostile pack of sinister coyotes surround the floppy-eared dog. They take nips at its heels, sides and face, before the fearless pup starts to fend off the attacks. The scheming coyotes back off slightly when the lionhearted dog starts to bark and bite back. Duke employs a range of techniques as he growls, bobs and swivels in response to the group assault. Displaying his primal instincts, the pup eventually stands with his back against shrubs to prevent any more flank attacks. The feral scavengers appear to struggle to land a proper hit on the pup as it defends itself effectively They then start to back off when they realise it is not the best idea to get within biting distance of their larger counterpart. The homeowners who caught the warring factions on camera only saw the standoff when they woke up and scared the whole gang off, according to KTLA. Forget 'Feed the Bear' - Celtic icon Roy Aitken is a dog whisperer now as he makes refuge appeal Homeowner Melissa Shatynski told the outlet: "He knew how to protect himself, and fight them off and kind of back into a corner against that little area there." She added: 'He was able to fight them off unbelievably.' Two days after the taking on the formidable foes, the brave stray pup was seen still wandering the neighbourhood alone. This compelled Shatynski to call Orange County Animal Care to get him taken to a shelter. Duke was up for adoption as of Thursday morning, but online records show he may already have found a new home. His description wrote: "Duke is a shy but friendly boy who loves hanging out with other dogs. "Once he warms up, he enjoys doing zoomies, playing in the pool, and engaging with his handlers." Cute footage posted by Orange County Animal Care showed Duke jumping around in a small pool and happily roughhousing with another dog. They excluded footage of the movie-like battle between courageous Duke and the five coyotes. Wildlife experts said that it is currently breeding season for coyotes - which means adults can become more aggressive while finding food for their young pups. This food can reportedly include dogs.
CBS News
21-05-2025
- CBS News
Coyotes attack dog in Brookline. Police warn neighbors to be on alert.
Brookline police are sending out a warning after they said coyotes attacked a dog Monday night. Investigators said brazen behavior from coyotes is being spotted more and more around Brookline. Police said the two coyotes emerged from a wooded area and attacked a dog last night in the Sargent Beechwood area while it was on a walk. The attack left neighbors like the Guzmans keeping their small dogs on tighter leashes. Neighbors concerned "It's really a concern since they're getting on people's property you really have to keep an eye out," said neighbor Gabby Guzman. "It's definitely concerning that now that they're more used to humans being around that you don't know what else can happen." Neighbors said they've been seeing coyotes for years, but now they don't seem to be afraid of humans. Surveillance video from last November shows a scary encounter where a coyote is seen chasing a woman into her home. Another Ring doorbell camera video shows a coyote prancing right by a family's front door not too long ago. While coyote sightings are common in the neighborhood by the Brookline Conservation Land Trust, their bold behavior is concerning. "I know we have neighbors with really small children and it's just as a concern for the small children as it is for the small dogs," said Sebastian Guzman. "We do share a space with them, so I think an important part is pet owners being responsible for your pets." MassWildlife officials say coyote denning and pup-rearing seasons typically run in April and May, where they are protective of their dens and may be more aggressive toward dogs. What to do during a coyote encounter For neighbors that means being more alert. Police say if you have a surprise encounter with a coyote, remember to stay calm, stand tall, and make yourself heard and don't hesitate to call the police if you feel you are in danger.
