Coyote encounters force trail closures in SF’s Presidio
Coyotes have advanced on, growled at or surrounded dog walkers and their pets four times over the past week, a pattern of aggression that is natural for the wild canines during pupping season, which begins in the spring and continues through the summer, wildlife biologists said Wednesday.
The displays by as many as three coyotes at a time are nevertheless frightening and experts say the activity could escalate into dangerous dog-coyote conflicts if precautions aren’t taken.
The Presidio Trust, which manages the area for the National Park Service, banned dogs this week on the Park Trail, between West Pacific Avenue and Crissy Field, and the Bay Area Ridge Trail, between Arguello Boulevard and the Rob Hill Campground, in an effort to protect people and their pets.
There is a den near the two trails, which Boland said are still safe for pedestrians without dogs because the coyotes do not regard humans as a threat to their pups or territory.
“People feel like they are being attacked, but there is a real difference between a coyote being aggressive toward a dog and a coyote being aggressive toward a person,” he said, adding that people with small dogs often pick them up, creating an even more chilling situation as the coyotes approach.
[...] coyotes have been reported in Golden Gate Park, at the Olympic Club golf course and in several neighborhoods.