Urban Coyotes in San Francisco Still Creating Debate

Hello there! If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic.

Urban Coyotes in San Francisco are again making news. Earlier in the summer another Coyote was shot and killed by California Wildlife Services in the Presidio. On top of that another Coyote was reported killed today in the Presidio after being struck by a car.
Hunters shoot aggressive coyotes in Presidio – San Francisco Chronicle

Word is that the San Francisco City Board of Supervisors will be taking up the topic to address public concern. This is starting to get greater visibility in local news. I was interviewed Thursday by KRON News on the matter and tried to share a balanced concern for public health & safety while keeping an eye toward a modern wildlife conservation effort.

Coyote Crossing wildlife photo by Jim M. Goldstein
More Urban and San Francisco Coyote Photos & Articles

If you’re a pet owner like myself be sure to keep your pets supervised and on leash in addition keep an eye out for Coyotes at dusk and in the evening. Also if you’re driving be careful at this time as well. Coyotes are swift creatures but not swift enough to dodge a fast moving vehicle. That being said I do hope that local officials and the California Department of Fish and Game think out of the box in how to manage the situation. Predators can’t continuously be eradicated while their prey explode in population in urban areas. With a little luck and proactive management San Francisco can avoid a panic about Coyotes.

Technorati Tags: Coyote, San Francisco, News, Presidio, California Department of Fish and Game, Â Canis latrans, wildlife, photography, stock photo

Stay Connected with Jim
	Join Me On Twitter	Become a Fan on Facebook
	Listen to EXIF & Beyond	My Latest on YouTube

Posted by Jim on 08.15.2008 at 12:00 am
Tagged: California, Locations, News & Current Events, Photography, San Francisco, Stock Photo, Wildlife , Photography, Stock Photo, Wildlife

http://www.anntorrence.com/blog Ann Torrence

Yellowstone’s experiment with reintroducing wolves had an interesting impact on the coyotes: reducing the population by about 50%, which cascaded into an increase in the fox population. Apparently wolves don’t tolerate coyotes, and will kill them if the coyotes are careless about scavenging around a wolf kill. Not that SF is a place for wolves, but the complexities of the natural order of predation are an amazing thing to contemplate. I wonder when the last mountain lion prowled the city-they would have kept the coyotes in check.
http://bodieorbust.blogspot.com/ http://www.nelcha.com

Hi Jim,
Might I suggest, deer whistles, for folks to mount on their car grills, like i do for when I am traveling in the mountains or up near Yellowstone.. most canines or larger animals can hear the whistles (which are cheap compared to the hassle of a dented car)
and would help save the coyotes lives in addition… I have 4 on the front of my car and even when in Yosemite, went by a group of about 15 deer right next to the road, that I am SURE were wanting to cross, but heard my whistles… so I think they REALLY work…IMHO
And to the previous poster, yes the BIGGER always prey on the smaller and weaker… ’tis the way of Nature…nothing new.
It is when Humans get involved that the balance gets thrown off..
Like Jim said… we “share” this world with the 4 leggeds..
so protect your wee ones.. only makes sense, doesn’t make the larger ones BAD…

in defense of creatures Great and Small….
Nelcha