From San Marcos to North Park, residents have noticed what seems to be a recent rise in coyote sightings in neighborhoods.
“Yesterday, I was on my way to the gym at around 6 in the morning and I saw this coyote,” said Casey Gardner, from Normal Heights. “It’s not actually abnormal to see a coyote. I’ve seen coyotes around however, this one I noticed had something in its mouth.”
Gardner followed the coyote for a few blocks while taking a video. The video shared with NBC 7 shows the coyote running from block to block, carrying what Gardner said appeared to be a cat. This was heartbreaking for him as he owns two cats, but he knows the harsh reality when it comes to coyotes and small pets.
“I’ve seen a few different coyotes in the Normal Heights area, this one looked healthy as opposed to some of the other ones that looked pretty skinny,” said Gardner.
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He posted his video on Nextdoor and was surprised when it gained traction.
Gardner was not the only person who has had a coyote encounter lately. A resident in Kensington sent NBC 7 video of a coyote walking his neighborhood while it was still day out.
Another moment was captured by a home security camera in San Marcos. It shows a coyote running past two people on a front porch, followed by a possible second coyote.
Andy Blue, the campus director at San Diego Humane Society’s Project Wildlife in Ramona, is an expert when it comes to coyotes. He said there may not necessarily be a greater number of coyotes, but it is not surprising that there are more sightings.
“It can be anything from flooding down in the Mission Bay area that can displace coyotes from their dens and these big southern California fires really take quite a bit of their territory away from them. They’re really opportunistic animals,” said Blue, who added that now through March is also breeding season.
Blue said one of the worst things people can do is try to feed them.
“It’s really important that you don’t attract them,” said Blue. He explained that anything from leaving out dog and cat food to leaving your compost pile accessible could either attract the coyotes, or the small animals that coyotes feed on.
Blue added that if you do happen to run into a coyote, make yourself appear larger than the coyote and make loud noises, like clapping.
“You know, anything that isn’t a normal sound to a coyote, that is going to deter it and hopefully get it to move away from you,” said Blue.
For more information on how to prevent coyotes from being attracted to your area, click here.
