SAN FRANCISCO—Earlier this week on September 15, a coyote bit a woman on Tennessee Beach, located in Marin County close to San Francisco.
Park rangers in Marin County responded to the incident, where the woman told them that the coyote was acting aggressively before it approached her and bit her. According to a statement from a spokesman for the National Park Service, the woman walked 1.7 miles on a trail, and drove herself to a hospital where she was treated for minor injuries. She is expected to recover, and park rangers are working to find the coyote involved.
San Francisco and surrounding Bay Area counties have seen a noticeable increase in the amount of coyote sightings, which San Francisco Animal Care and Control attributes to “coyotes searching for mates; mated pairs of coyotes protecting their den and newborn pups; and/or pups from the previous year searching for their own territory,” according to a statement on their website.
Due to the increase sightings park rangers across the Bay Area have begun trapping coyotes, and fitting them with GPS tracking collars, which are being used to study their movements and activities.
Gold Gate National Parks Conservancy released tips to Bay Area residents on how to stay safe during a coyote sighting. According to a warning on their website, tips include to avoid areas with high coyote activity, to not detour off trails, keep children and pets close, and avoid peak activity hours (sunrise and sunset).
The Gold Gate National Parks Conservancy notes that coyotes are typically timid of people, and bite incidents, such as the one that occurred on September 15, are rare. Individuals are warned that if they come across a coyote that doesn’t immediately run away, a statement from the Park Conservancy advises: “Make yourself look tall and be loud as possible. Don’t ever turn your back or turn to run. Clap your hands, wave your arms, and shout in a calm, authoritative voice. Last ditch effort: Hurl an object around you towards the coyote; don’t aim to hit it.”
