I became interested in coyotes as they became more present in our nearby park. They even ventured in to our neighbor’s backyard. Coyotes now seem as much a part of our San Francisco Hill as the calla lilies carelessly popping up everywhere here.
Coyotes were in San Francisco long before we were, before the Spanish set up missions up and down the California coast centuries ago. The once populous coastal tribes of indigenous people coexisted successfully with coyotes sharing the land’s resources.
The present day population of man here in San Francisco seems less inclined to be generous toward the coyotes even as we thoughtlessly tempt them into our space with an endless supply of rats attracted to our strewn about garbage. Coyotes are a natural, timeless component of our landscape. They’ll be here long after we’re gone. We should appreciate their beauty and resourcefulness.
