Project Protects Coyotes, Educates Residents About Them

When humans and coyotes come into contact with each other, it can be a tense standoff.

Novato residents often report seeing coyotes in their backyards with the predators poking through trash and sometimes engaging in skirmishes with domestic dogs. In Novato there are regular sightings by hikers on Mount Burdell and Big Rock Ridge.

Project Coyote, a Larkspur-based organization, is trying to improve the reputation of coyotes and to teach residents how they can coexist with the animals, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Camilla Fox, executive director of Project Coyote, told the Chronicle coyotes "keep the rodent population and other mesocarnivores - like foxes, skunks and raccoons — in check, which helps songbird and ground-nesting bird populations."

Sue McQuinn, a Novato Patch freelance photographer who lives near Mount Burdell, shared shots of coyotes with Patch readers in April. Fox contributed a comment on McQuinn's story and photo gallery: "We are lucky to share our wildlands with so much wildlife here in Marin. There are precautions that we can take when recreating in open space to protect our pets." 

What do you think? Are our wild coyotes more friend or foe? If you've seen coyotes in Novato, have you reached the point at which you were scared or did you just calmly observe? Share your experiences with a comment below.