Since a coyote was first spotted on Bernal Hill last Monday, there have been more reports of sightings. For now, it seems as if the coyote has taken up residence here, primarily in the northeast portion of the hilltop. We are honored.
Neighbor Carolyn shared some photos of the coyote, taken this morning:
My husband and I were walking our dog around Bernal this AM (7:45-8:15) and saw the coyote! It really was an incredible sight to see. The coyote was walking around the hill from the northwest-northeast side.
However, Neighbor Ben says he has a bad feeling about this:
Coyote was back this morning. Monday it seemed to be staying up towards the top of the ridges, but today was moving up and down the hill crossing the road several times. This attracted a lot more attention from the dogs, including a larger pit-mix that chased it in a manner that didn’t look very playful.
I think the dog population is a lot higher than when we had coyotes here ten years ago. Based on today’s events it doesn’t seem like a stable situation.
PHOTOS: Coyote on Bernal Hill by Neighbor Carolyn, taken on Jan. 27, 2016
Bernalwood 
Coyotes are not new to Bernal. We saw them back in the 80s. I’m worried about his safety with all of the dogs in the area. What can be done? Capturing the coyote seems inhumane and not certain what the city would do with the coyote…hmmmm…
> I think the dog population is a lot higher than when we had coyotes here ten years ago.
I don’t think that’s true. I think the human and dog density is pretty much unchanged. Maybe the average dog is smaller now, and more at risk. But the population is not that different now as it was then.
I’ll be more likely to keep my dog leashed up on the hill, especially at night. I know my dog, a Husky, is really keen to socialize with the coyotes she’s seen in Glenn Canyon. And especially there, where there have been families of coyotes, she would be at risk.
The real threat, IMO, is to any outdoor cats near the hill. I read that coyotes rarely hunt dogs, but they definitely enjoy feeding on cats. Of course, those outdoor cats are a menace to song birds, so maybe a few eviscerated cats is just karmic payback?
Know that coyotes pose virtually no threat to humans unless they are hand-fed or unless a dog owner gets between his dog and a coyote, which could result in a bite or scratch to the dog owner. Coyotes want to avoid humans. On the other hand, pets pose problems in coyote areas. Nevertheless, it’s easy to avoid mishaps with pets by following some simple guidelines. Coexistence is what is going on throughout the country in urban areas because it is easy and it works. Coexistence is about educating the public about what coyote behaviors they should be aware of, and giving simple guidelines to help it work.
Keep your beloved pets indoors at night and don’t allow them to roam free. Don’t leave any type of food out which might encourage a coyote to linger rather than just trek on. When in the park, please leash up if you see a coyote and walk away from it — and don’t allow your pet to chase coyotes. Remember that pupping season is coming up, and whether or not you’ll have pups in your specific park, coyotes become more protective of their space during this time if they are intruded upon by a dog. And know how to shoo away a coyote if it comes too close. Please watch the all-in-one video presentation, “Coyotes As Neighbors” which can be found at the top of the Coyotecoexistence.com website page. If you have any questions, please contact me, Janet, or any of the folks at CCC at coyotecoexistence@gmail.com. Someone there will try to help with any concerns you have.
Thanks for a more reasoned observation. Can we put aside”spirit animal” crappola”? It’s just a somewhat wild critter grabbing a toehold in an urban environment that it can and will.
Coyotes are back on the HIll…woohoo! keep your dogs and (especially cats) under a short leas as needed.
Awesome! It’s a joyous sight to see. We have enough dogs: can’t we let one wild one exist in peace?
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