San Francisco Chronicle
SAN FRANCISCO
Coyotes in park dog attack had been fed by humans

Marisa Lagos, Chronicle Staff Writer

Thursday, July 26, 2007



Two coyotes that recently attacked a pair of dogs in Golden Gate Park might have become aggressive because someone had been feeding them every day, Animal Care and Control officials said Wednesday, leading the agency to initiate an effort to teach residents how to coexist with wildlife peacefully.

The coyotes, a male and female, were shot to death by U.S. Department of Agriculture officials the day after the July 14 incident. Both have tested negative for rabies, Animal Care and Control said Wednesday.

Carl Friedman, head of Animal Care and Control, said that since the attack -- which left one dog with minor injuries -- he has learned that at least one person had been feeding the coyotes raw meat out of a van every day.

"People would watch, and they saw them get more assertive, more demanding," he said.

The education campaign will be twofold, Friedman said: Officials will ask the public to report coyote sightings in an effort to better pinpoint where the animals are, and they will canvass relevant neighborhoods in an effort to educate those most likely to see the canines.

Shortly before the July 14 attack, the agency had issued a statement asking residents to stop calling with coyote sightings and assuring the public that the animals would not be aggressive unless they were fed.

Officials changed tack after receiving numerous reports that the Golden Gate Park pair were being fed regularly, Friedman said.

"We were under the impression that (the coyotes) would do what wild animals usually do, which is be shy, and we could all coexist until the end of time," Friedman said. "Obviously that didn't happen, because people were more involved than they need to be.

"What's very evident from last week's tragedy is that we need to be more proactive than reactive," he said. "We're trying to go gangbusters to get the public to understand how to coexist with wildlife."

Animal control officials, working with experts from the Marin Humane Society and the Animal Protection Institute, began passing out information in the Bernal Heights neighborhood this week. They also will be collecting sighting reports at (415) 554-9400 or www.animalshelter.sfgov.org.

The feedback will help officials understand the size of the population and their behavior patterns, Friedman said.

"Interacting, feeding them is going to be a death sentence," he said. "It's great to share this wonderful city with the abundance of wildlife we have, but in order to do that, we need to let the wildlife stay wild."

In 1742, the population of Fairfax County was only about 4,000 people, and about 1,000 of these were black slaves.

When did Fairfax County become part of California?

coyote Wrote:
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> When did Fairfax County become part of California?


Never, hopefully, but I wanted to point out just how stupid some people can be.
If you read the threads about the deer population, you will notice mention
of coyotes in our area too.

in our area?

I thought coyotes only work near the US/Mexico border area, no?

Do the coyotes make special deliveries to Fairfax County? (which would
explain a lot actually)


slimey Wrote:
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> If you read the threads about the deer population,
> you will notice mention
> of coyotes in our area too.

I saw a Coyote out on 66 this morning. A really big angry lookin one .He had a rocket pack on his back and he zoomed past what looked like a road runner.

ferfux Wrote:
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> I saw a Coyote out on 66 this morning. A really
> big angry lookin one .He had a rocket pack on his
> back and he zoomed past what looked like a road
> runner.


That was Gravis.

Was the rocket pack an Acme product? If so I know that coyote.

On the other hand I wouldnt mind seeing some coyotes chasing the fags around in S F.