Pacifica resident charged by coyote while walking dog

Bay City News Service


PACIFICA - 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. 


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Posted by Steve Sinai