S.F.'s urban coyotes could soon be shopping downtown

Coyote biding his time in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park Coyote biding his time in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park Photo: David Cruz, Natures Lantern Photo: David Cruz, Natures Lantern Image 1 of / 17 Caption Close S.F.'s urban coyotes could soon be shopping downtown 1 / 17 Back to Gallery

Back in the days when Phil Frank's Farley cartoon strip ran in The Chronicle, it had a running joke about the cartoon bears frequenting the "Fog City Dumpster."

Well, reality may have gone Farley one better. Local residents say they have seen real, live coyotes near the Embarcadero, just down the street from the iconic Fog City.

Coyotes have become a regular feature in wooded areas like the Presidio and Golden Gate Park, but now they're turning up along some of the city's busiest thoroughfares. Apparently, they've made dens on swanky Telegraph Hill below Coit Tower and stroll down toward the bay in the evenings in search of food. City wildlife officials say the fact that it has been such a dry year only increases the roaming.

"It's been pretty crazy," said Rebecca Katz, director of San Francisco Animal Care and Control. "They are coming into areas where we have never seen them before. It sounds like they are moving east."

Alice Wolfson, one of several residents who has experienced face-to-muzzle encounters with coyotes in the area, isn't thrilled.

"It's not exciting, it's scary," she said. "We do have to live with wildlife, but c'mon, on Lombard Street? I was walking my dog, Poppy, who weighs 22 pounds, and I turned around and this giant thing was looking at me - no more than 6 feet away."

Although there are those who insist that the coyotes are not dangerous to pets, Katz disagrees.

"That's ridiculous," she said. "We had a case last year in Glen Park where a woman was walking her Chihuahua and a coyote came out and grabbed it. You should make sure that household pets are not out, especially at night."

However, she says, the danger to adults is minimal.

"Coyotes are actually very shy," she said. "We recommend that you shout, wave your arms and make yourself as big as possible. If that doesn't work, and they are being aggressive to humans, that would be unusual behavior and we want to know about that."

And just so you know, the usual suggestion - trapping the coyotes and moving them somewhere less populated - isn't going to happen.

"State law does not allow us to do that," Katz said. "We can only trap and euthanize them, and that is not the policy of San Francisco.

Instead, she says, check websites like Wildcare Solutions for the Bay Area for suggestions. They basics are not to leave food out for other animals, keep trash bins latched, and keep pets on a leash.

"And we certainly recommend not letting little kids run around unsupervised," Katz said.

We hesitate to say this is an only-in-San-Francisco moment, but how many other cities promote a program of strippers for Santa? The Gold Club is part of a collection of 11 strip clubs in the city that is concluding its toy drive and fundraiser on Thursday.

"People may laugh," says manager Glenn Prime at the Howard Street club, "but I know it is the owner's favorite thing."

Beginning on Thanksgiving, the clubs collect unwrapped toys that cost at least $20 in exchange for free admission.

The Gold Club "alone brought in close to 1,000 toys," Prime said. "And the entertainers volunteer to do dances to collect money. This year we will donate close to $20,000."

The event concludes Thursday when members of San Francisco Firefighters Local 798 show up at the club for a two-hour show - strictly for charity of course - in full fire gear.

There will even be an appearance by Santa Claus, who, Prime says, will be fully clothed.