Coyotes Become A Common Sight In San Francisco Ingleside Terraces
SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) – An unusual predator has been spotted roaming the streets of a San Francisco neighborhood. People living in Ingleside Terraces said they are increasingly seeing coyotes around.
Colette O'Brien was at work the morning she received an email from her neighbor, a photo showing a coyote in O'Brien's driveway.
"I was shocked but I knew everyone around knew and my dog was inside so it was okay," O'Brien told KPIX 5.
Many neighbors aren't leaving their small children or pets outside by themselves, and they're bringing pets inside at night.
"I'm nervous for my neighbors, my neighbors' pets, for my pets," said neighbor Valeria Pellicer.
Flyers warn of the danger. The president of the Ingleside Terrace's Homes Association says since mid-July, residents have reported dozens of coyote sightings, and two cat killings.
"We have had residents open their back door, let out their pet, there's a coyote in their backyard," said association president Mark Scardina.
The association, representing 750 homes, has hired Mary Paglieri of the Little Blue Society, which resolves conflict between people and animals. She's observed the coyotes in the neighborhood firsthand, and has developed a plan to disrupt their route.
"In essence, what I'm doing is creating an invisible boundary using language that the coyotes understand," Paglieri said.
Won't they just surface in another neighborhood? Paglieri says not necessarily.
Ingleside neighbors say in the end, the city needs to develop a coordinated plan to deal with the coyotes.
"That's what I'm asking for from Animal Care and Control, from our supervisor, from the police department," said Ingleside resident Annemarie Conroy. "It seemed to be an area where nobody had total jurisdiction."