Domesticated dogs are one of the greatest accomplishments, in my opinion, that mankind can boast on its resume over the millennia. Still, some close relatives of our canine friends are out roaming the wild, living the same lifestyle that nature intended in the beginning. Coyotes are one such animal that is still untamed and even dangerous to humans in certain situations.
However, one coyote seems to have forgotten his role as a vicious predator. In a post on X from the San Francisco Animal Care and Control on Friday, a coyote was spotted lounging on a back patio couch and looking as if he had cuddled up on that sofa thousands of times before.
The images show the coyote looking up at an officer, almost seeming to beg to remain on the comfy human furniture. However, as there was no way to be sure that the animal would be kind when people approached, Officer Mullen had to ask it to leave.
SF Animal Care and Control Tweeted, “Friday Field Notes: Coyote on a Couch. Officer Mullen encouraged this sleepy coyote couch potato to move along and find a more coyote-appropriate (but less comfy) place to sleep. He listened and followed her advice.”
Friday Field Notes: Coyote on a Couch. Officer Mullen encouraged this sleepy coyote couch potato to move along and find a more coyote-appropriate (but less comfy) place to sleep. He listened and followed her advice. #Coyotes #animalcontrol #wildlife #couchcoyote pic.twitter.com/hIm2LnioSs
— SF Animal Care & Control (@SFACC) November 3, 2023
Officer Mullen also took some time to share about the encounter on a Facebook post shared by the organization. Speaking about the encounter with the wild coyote, Mullen wrote, “I arrived and made contact with the resident who took me to their backyard and showed me the coyote who was comfortably resting on a couch in their outdoor patio.
“I approached the coyote and started talking to him, telling him that it was time to get up. He looked at me, got up, took a big stretch and made his way to the edge of the yard.”
Many people were left worried about the health of the animal, as coyotes are so rarely seen being comfortable around people. Mullens wrote, “He was moving appropriately and did not appear sick or injured. The yard was on the edge of a woodland area and he hopped on over the wall and made his way through the brush. The coyote looked like a young healthy male that was probably recently kicked out of his den and was trying to make his way through the city.”
Mullen went on to describe the habits and nature of coyotes so that readers could understand what to expect from the roughly 100 coyotes in the San Francisco area. For one, it was noted that they are often shy and avoid contact with humans though they will become “assertive” when feeling threatened for defending their young.
The post also noted that residents should enjoy the presence of coyotes in a local ecosystem. The predators play a vital role in limiting the rodent population, which, especially in a big city, can become enormous and disruptive if left unchecked. Thankfully, this coyote was safely able to reenter its natural habitat without any harm, either to it or to the homeowners.
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