Coyote killed after getting dangerously close to humans at arboretum

The City of Seattle decided to trap and kill a coyote that was getting too close to humans at a local park, KIRO 7 reported Wednesday.

City officials were worried the animal would hurt humans after a series of dangerous encounters at the Washington Park Arboretum.

According to the media outlet, a coyote was caught on camera stealing a woman’s jacket. There was also a report of a coyote stealing food next to a person and attacking a dog on a leash.

“The last thing we want to see are coyotes attacking humans,” Seattle Parks and Recreation spokesperson Rachel Schulkin told KIRO 7. “We don’t want to see coyotes actually running up and biting humans because a human has entered their den space. We don’t want to see them chasing after humans.”

The coyote had also flipped its natural sleeping schedule so it could find food from parkgoers during the day, according to the media outlet.

“The arboretum is a really populated park. There are a lot of people around,” Schulkin told KIRO 7. “We want people to feel like they can utilize this space safely, and we also want the coyotes to be in their natural habitat safely. That’s been possible for decades, so we know we can get back there.”

Ultimately, the city decided to kill the animal and is now monitoring other coyotes in the area for suspicious behavior.

“We are hopeful that if we can all kind of intensify these efforts in the next couple of months, the coyotes will get the message that interacting with humans is not safe and we can all peacefully use the park together,” Schulkin told KIRO 7.

Woodland Park Zoo’s carnivore spotter shows a mass of recent sightings in the Washington Park Arboretum, compared to the summer, when there were more concentrated sightings in the Ballard area.

WDFW sees uptick in coyote sightings around fall, winter amid Seattle park incident

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) spokesperson Chase Gunnell told MyNorthwest coyote sightings have seemed to increase every year in the fall and winter around Seattle and King County.

Less vegetation on trees and bushes during the winter makes the animals easier to spot, Gunnell noted. Coyotes may also need to travel closer to residential areas to find food during the colder months.

Officials see another uptick of sightings in the spring, with reports of “escorting behavior” — where coyotes follow people near their dens or territory to protect their pups.

Regarding the arboretum incident, Gunnell stated the attacks on dogs and lack of fear around people likely stemmed from the animals becoming habituated to humans who had been feeding them or leaving food.

What to do if you encounter a coyote

To avoid coyote encounters, WDFW recommends keeping cats inside, keeping dogs leashed, feeding pets indoors, avoiding early morning and late night walks with pets, and keeping an eye on children and pets.

To scare off a coyote, appear as the bigger threat by standing tall and staring into the eyes of the animal, and shouting at it. Throwing something at the coyote can also scare them off. But never run or turn your back, WDFW stated.

Contributing: KIRO 7

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