‘Large coyotes’ spotted in Seattle: What should you do if you encounter one?

A pack of coyotes was spotted in North Seattle this week. MyNorthwest gathered tips on what residents can do when facing the furry animals.

KIRO Newsradio’s Paul Holden captured the above video Monday morning in the Northgate neighborhood near North Seattle Community College.

“It’s about just before six o’clock that I’m leaving here and when I see the bottom of my street, I see not one, not two, but three large, I mean, these are adult coyotes,” Paul said on “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio Monday. “These are not small creatures. They are big.”

As Paul was driving down the street, he said the coyotes separated and he saw one easily jump over a barrier into the yard of another house.

“I know my one neighbor’s got small dogs,” he added. “I know there’s cats all along the areas and bunnies everywhere.”

Paul said this wasn’t the first time he saw a coyote in the area.

“There was a coyote just sitting by itself, wailing in a park close by,” he said. “It was such a weird noise because it wasn’t the howling that you’re used to when I actually saw it.”

Paul also mentioned a coyote gaining fans in Seattle, dubbed the “Capitol Hill coyote.” On Friday, The Seattle Times reported the animal was described as “the size of a great dane.”

According to The Conservation Agency, coyotes return when they are being fed. Therefore, one can assume the “Capitol Hill coyote” is being fed often. Hopefully, the situation doesn’t turn into the one in Poulsbo, where a woman had to evacuate her house after feeding wild raccoons for years.

WDFW: Gaze of raccoons have dispersed after Poulsbo woman stopped feeding them

Along with covering garbage, the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (WDFW) website offers advice for living with coyotes.

Follow these tips for living with coyotes in Seattle

The first tip is to “Never run away from a coyote!” WDFW advises people to make loud noises, wave sticks, squirt it with a hose or “haze” the coyote if it comes closer.

“Stand tall, stare into the eyes of the coyote and shout at it,” the agency states. “You also can throw something at it.”

The second is to not leave small children unattended in areas where coyotes frequent.

Next, the agency says never feed coyotes and keep garbage secure. Also, keep fruit trees fenced or pick up fruit that falls on the ground and keep compost piles within a fenced area or securely covered.

“If you must feed your pets outside, do so in the morning or at midday, and pick up food, water bowls, leftovers, and spilled food well before dark every day,” WDFW notes.

Another option is to build a coyote-proof fence.

“A 5-foot woven-wire fence with extenders facing outward at the top of each post should prevent coyotes from climbing over,” the agency writes.

Properly enclosing poultry and keep livestock in secure pens is another important step to prevent coyotes from visiting.

Related news: Authorities advise ‘hazing’ to scare coyotes after Queen Anne dog attacked

KIRO Newsradio fill-in host Greg Tomlin believes coyote sightings are becoming more common. He said his parents are currently dealing with a coyote problem in their backyard.

“They live near a pack of coyotes,” Greg said on “The Jake and Spike Show” on KIRO Newsradio Friday. “And recently, this pack decided to go up on their patio, in the middle of the night, that has a little roof overhanging it and they decided to make themselves at home. And the next morning, my parents got up and it looked like it had been ravaged by some unknown beast. And sure enough, they made the correlation. It was coyotes and there was just dirt, nastiness, everywhere, they had nested, I don’t even know if that’s the right term for it, but yeah, public nuisance.”

While some may be annoyed or even fear coyotes, others, like KIRO Newsradio fill-in host Mike Lewis, aren’t bothered.

“One, I kind of like coyotes,” he said on “Gee and Ursula” Monday. “Two, they’re not really a threat. They’re not a threat to us.”

Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X here and email her here.