SF coyote sightings close dog park and athletics field; Pet owners unhappy

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – An uptick in coyote sightings in San Francisco has once again prompted a response by the city's parks and animal control departments.  Two public spaces are now temporarily closed. They include an athletics field in Bernal Heights and a dog park on the edge of The Presidio.

“It’s disappointing,” said Sally McDonald, who regularly brings her dog to the now closed dog play area at Mountain Lake Park. “There’s a lot of dogs that rely on this park.”

“I’m handicapped, and so it is very important for me to be in an unleashed area, because I can’t walk my dog,” added Sydney Samucha, also a regular at the dog park, who says it's the only one nearby.

San Francisco Animal Control and San Francisco Recreation and Parks said their decision to temporarily close the dog play area wasn’t made lightly.

“There were two recent coyote interactions that happened last week at Mountain Lake Park,” said Daniel Montes, a spokesperson for San Francisco Recreation and Parks.

During one of the incidents, the city says a dog was slightly hurt after a coyote bit its tail. A den was discovered near the play area.

“Out of an abundance of caution we are closing the dog play area,” said Montes. “This is for safety reasons. Whether a dog is on a leash or not, it can be perceived as a threat to a coyote just because right now we’re in pupping season, so coyotes may be more protective.”

The city also temporarily closed an athletics field at the Saint Mary’s Recreation Center in Bernal Heights after coyotes were regularly spotted there as well. The move comes just weeks after a five-year-old girl was attacked at the San Francisco Botanical Garden. Three coyotes were later killed by wildlife officers.

“It seems like there’s gotta be some way to curb the population without shooting them,” said McDonald. “I don’t think it’s wise to think that you can suddenly pick a coyote up and transplant them somewhere else. I don’t think that’s logical, but they have to do something beforehand. This is a city, we don’t live on a farm. This is a city with a lot of people and there are limited areas for recreation.”