Why are coyotes swimming to Angel Island?

SAN FRANCISCO – An uncommon sighting was caught on video – a coyote swimming within the San Francisco Bay on its approach to Angel Island.

The video has sparked questions and curiosity in regards to the coyote inhabitants on the most important pure island in San Francisco Bay.

What we all know:

California State Parks officers mentioned the video was taken on Aug. 29, because the animal was swimming by way of what’s often called Raccoon Strait a few quarter of a mile from the shore of Angel Island. And they imagine it was making its manner again residence from Tiburon.

“That’s like a one-mile distance, so that’s no small feat for any critter,” California State Parks environmental scientist Bill Miller advised KTVU. “It was absolutely surprising. That was the first I had ever seen that in my, what, dozen years of working here,” the longtime parks official added.

Coyotes are good swimmers, Miller mentioned, and the animal made its manner safely to the shore.

Coyotes’ presence on the island is a comparatively new one.

The backstory:

“You know, before eight years ago, there were no coyotes on Angel Island,” Miller defined. “We don’t have evidence of coyotes being on the island in the 10,000-year history that it’s been around,” he added.

So it was in 2017, the primary coyote was noticed there after which, “One coyote became two and then there was a litter and then so now we have about, maybe 14 or 15, coyotes on the island,” the environmental scientist defined.

Park officers mentioned the coyotes are all from the identical household.

“The DNA was consistent with all of the individuals being descended from one female. And it seemed like three generations,” Miller mentioned.

Experts imagine the mom and grandmother of the household line have since died. 

5-year examine

The Angel Island coyotes are a part of an ongoing five-year examine, now in its second yr, that was spearheaded by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. 

The examine is trying into features like eating regimen and different behavioral patterns, providing perception into how the coyotes on the island are associated.

“So think of building a family tree for, you know, who’s related to who,” Miller mentioned.

Researchers are utilizing wildlife cameras in addition to accumulating scat from not solely coyotes but in addition deer, in an effort to grasp the dynamic between the 2 animals. 

Coyotes, that are primarily carnivores, eat deer and different mammals. 

Once numbering within the tons of, again within the Nineteen Seventies and 80s, the island confronted an overpopulation of deer, prompting culling efforts to handle the herds. Today, there are about 43 deer, in accordance with wildlife consultants.

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Researchers are additionally taking a look at how the coyotes are affecting populations of different Angel Island species. 

“We also have a special mole on the Island called the Angel Island Mole, which is endemic to the island. So we’re interested in knowing if the coyotes are impacting those guys as well,” Miller mentioned.

What you are able to do:

Evidence has proven that the coyotes have additionally gotten entry to pig and hen of their eating regimen, which prompted parks officers to warning guests to the island from forsaking meals and, most actually, from feeding the coyotes.

“It’s through trash, or hopefully not, but deliberate feeding,” Miller mentioned, including, “It’s really the negative interactions with our wildlife that we want to avoid.”

And within the occasion of a coyote encounter, whereas many individuals generally tend to first seize their telephone to seize pictures of the wild animals, Miller suggested they really take measures to “haze” or scare the coyote, by talking loudly, making numerous noise, or making themselves giant by waving their arms.

Mysterious intrigue

The video of the swimming coyote has triggered a lot intrigue into the unknowns associated to the comparatively new residents to the island.

“Why the first coyote came over to the island, I don’t know,” Miller mentioned. “Probably thought it saw opportunity over there and decided to take a swim and somehow made it across.”  

He speculated that after the primary one arrived, it was her howling that introduced others over. 

“I can only imagine that maybe another one showed up because they heard her calling out there,” he conjectured. “Coyotes expand their territory and range as young ones grow up and are looking for new places. And the fact that it hasn’t really occurred in the 10,000 years of history on that island until now, speaks to that the initial colonization seems like it’s pretty rare. But we have no idea how often coyotes are actually coming on and off the island.”

And extra questions, in relation to the swimming coyote caught on video. Miller famous that Angel Island is simply about one sq. mile and advised the animal may have simply been out in search of new territory.

But what is definite is that the Bay Area, as a complete, continues to be an area that’s hospitable to wildlife. 

“The Bay Area is still pretty wild. The fact that we’re actually able to support, you know, populations of coyotes and bear in the North Bay, it just speaks to the amount of open space and the quality of the habitat that we have,” Miller mentioned, including, “Now, obviously, we need to learn to live with them.”

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