Coyote Urban: Wild Creatures Appear in Downtown SF

Coyote sightings have been reported in Telegraph Hill.

Coyotes are loose in San Francisco -- and not just in rustic spots like Golden Gate Park.

The wild dogs have been seen on the Embarcadero, on Telegraph Hill and elsewhere deeper into San Francisco's urban fabric, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

The dry weather has "only increase[d] the roaming," reported the newspaper, which reports of "dens on swanky Telegraph Hill" as well as coyotes strolling "down toward the bay in the evenings in search of food."

Kind of like humans.

Dog owners say that they've been out on walks only to find themselves face to face with the feral creatures, who appear to have little fear -- and pose a real threat.

By repute, a Chihuahua owner had her little animal "grabbed" by a coyote in Glen Park. 

Humans can scare away coyotes by shouting and waving arms, according to reports, and otherwise "acting big."

But what can the city do? Very little, aside from exhorting residents to hide supplies of food. Trapping and moving coyotes is prohibited by state law, and trapping and killing them is prohibited by San Francisco law.

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