Their shrill howls echo across Marin with increasing frequency, yet nobody is quite sure how many there are or why coyotes seem to have become our ubiquitous neighbors.
"Marin County has perfect conditions for a variety of wild species - bobcats, deer and yes, coyotes," said Camilla Fox, director of the Larkspur-based Project Coyote, which seeks to educate the public about the species. "Marin has the open space for coyote habitat, and it has the prey base for them as well."
Coyotes typically breed in February, and their gestation period lasts 60 days. Now, as they enter pupping season, the wild canines can become more territorial and aggressive, Fox said.
"It's a good time for people to be more aware of coyotes when they are out in open space," said Fox, who will join a Marin County ranger on Monday for a coyote presentation in Terra Linda, where the animals are often heard howling in the hills.
"Keep dogs on leashes, and if you have a small dog it's not a bad idea to pick them up if you see a coyote," she said. "It's also a good idea to keep pets inside if you live near open space. Just use common sense."
The highly adaptable coyotes - which weigh about 40 pounds and reach the size of a medium dog - generally pose little threat to humans and are easily frightened off, although rare attacks have been documented on adults and children. They also can kill cats and small dogs, as has occurred in San Rafael and Mill Valley in recent years.
No one can pin down the exact numbers of coyotes in the county, but wildlife experts agree coyote sightings in Marin have increased dramatically since 2000.
"There has definitely been an increase," said Carrie Harrington, a spokeswoman for the Marin Humane Society. "There have been some cases where they have been quite brazen and out in the open during the day."
Last fall, a coyote was seen numerous times behind Best Buy in Marin City, the bicycle path near the Larkspur Hotel Mill Valley (former Holiday Inn Express) in Tamalpais Valley, and in residential areas such as Bayvista Circle and Donahue Street in Marin City and on Tennessee Valley Road off of Shoreline Highway.
"I do think Southern Marin is an example of where we know there were historic coyote populations," Fox said, noting coyotes can travel alone, in pairs or in packs of four to six. "They were exterminated in some areas, and it's possible they are now recolonizing."
Another coyote spotted in the Marin Headlands for the past couple of years seems to have moved on recently. Air horns, paint balls and rubber bullets were used to scare the persistent animal that had become so comfortable it thought nothing of trotting up to a car for a handout.
Such coyote conundrums are often people problems, as the animals become habituated by individuals feeding or interacting with them.
"In that case we had people feeding it and taking pictures," said Rich Weideman, acting chief of interpretation and education for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. "We have signs up reminding people not to do those things. We also got proactive in cleaning out Dumpsters and educating residents who live in the area."
Coyote sightings have been reported in populated areas of Novato, San Rafael - particularly China Camp, Peacock Gap and Terra Linda - the Ross Valley, Mill Valley and Tennessee Valley, among other places. They have even turned up in the Presidio in San Francisco, with park officials theorizing they may have crossed the Golden Gate Bridge to get there.
Hundreds of coyotes once roamed the area freely. But as agriculture developed in West Marin and urbanization occurred on the east side of the county, numbers dropped.
Marin County, however, no longer pays for trappers to kill coyotes in West Marin. Instead it has established a Strategic Plan for Protection of Livestock and Wildlife.
Instead of using lethal traps to snare coyotes that threaten livestock, the program encourages electric fences, strobes, radio devices, guard dogs and even llamas to protect herds in rural areas.
In urban settings, officials don't want the coyotes to become too comfortable. They recommend eliminating food and water sources and bringing pet food and water bowls inside, removing ripe and fallen tree fruit and keeping bird feeders properly maintained.
They also suggest keeping garbage, recyclables and compost in secure containers and putting them out at the curb the morning of pickup, not the night before. When encountering a coyote, residents are encouraged to use a loud voice, produce unusual noises and wave large objects.
Wildlife experts say coyotes play an important role in the ecosystem, keeping rodents in check, preventing them and other animals from feasting on bird eggs.
"We are lucky Marin has such prime habitat," Harrington said. "It's a good sign they are thriving."
Camilla Fox of Project Coyote and Rob Ruiz, chief park ranger of the Marin County Department of Parks and Open Space, will present a short film and will discuss the prevalence of coyotes in a talk, "Living With Coyotes," from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday at Christ Presbyterian Church, 620 Del Ganado Road in Terra Linda.
- Never leave a food or water source outside.
- Do not attempt to approach coyotes or make friends with them.
- Make coyotes visiting your property feel unwelcome: shout, make loud noises, spray them with a hose.
- Keep your pets safe with proper confinement, especially at dawn and after dusk.
- Walk your dog on a leash.
- Don't let your dog approach a coyote.
- Make your yard "coyote proof." Remove bushes against house walls, enclose decks and staircases, reduce rodent populations, contain waste and compost and remove fallen tree fruit.
- Report sightings to the Marin Humane Society 883-4621.
Source: Marin Humane Society
Contact Mark Prado via e-mail at email@example.com