Coyote Charges At Man Walking Dog In Pacifica
PACIFICA (CBS SF) -- Police are warning Pacifica residents to be on the alert after a man reported an unnerving encounter with a coyote Tuesday morning.
The resident said he was walking his dog in the 100 block of Esplanade Avenue around 6:30 a.m.Tuesday when a coyote charged at him and the dog, according to police Capt. Joe Spanheimer.
The resident was able to scare the coyote off and neither he nor the dog was injured, Spanheimer said.
Police contacted a manager at a nearby apartment complex to warn them of the incident and posted a warning for residents on social media, Spanheimer said.
Spanheimer noted that while confrontations like this are rare, wildlife sightings are common in Pacifica and seem to be increasing. One resident last June reported seeing a coyote jump a fence into her backyard and take her dog, he said.
"Pacifica is surrounded by the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which is wild animal habitat," Spanheimer said. "I don't know if it's because of the drought, but we've had more frequent reports of coyotes and mountain lions are in the area."
California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials are concerned about animals that behave aggressively but will not take action to remove an animal such as a coyote unless it actually bites someone, department spokesman Andrew Hughan said today.
There have been several incidents in Southern California with children being bitten, but so far nothing of the sort has happened in Northern California, Hughan said.
He said that the coyote the resident encountered in Pacifica probably viewed the dog as prey.
"Coyotes are always looking for food, they're a top predator," he said. "So if you're out with a small or medium-sized dog, the coyote sees that as a good sized meal."
Hughan said residents in areas where coyotes live should be careful to not leave dog food or trash outside unsecured. Dogs should be kept on leash and should not be left out alone in the backyard at night because coyotes can jump high fences.
"What happens is, people get complacent," Hughan said. "If you live anywhere near coyote habitat, you have to be vigilant with your trash and your pets."
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