Tips for keeping dogs safe from coyotes in the Bay Area

(KRON) — Coyotes are looking to feed new litters of hungry coyote pups this spring, and Bay Area residents should take precautions to protect their dogs on hiking trails and elsewhere, Sonoma County Regional Parks said.

“Spring is in the air,” Sonoma County Regional Parks wrote on social media. “That means coyote parents are busy bringing food back for their new pups and on high alert for perceived threats. These threats can sometimes include domestic dogs.”

Sonoma County Regional Parks has provided the following list of tips for avoiding conflicts with coyotes.

While negative encounters are incredibly rare, here some tips to help avoid conflict:

• Stay on designated trails and be aware of your surroundings
• Never feed wildlife, intentionally or unintentionally
• Keep your dogs on a leash

Coyotes may follow you to escort you out of their territory. If a coyote gets too close:

• Pick up small dogs and children.
• Haze the coyote: Be aggressive, loud, big and bad – you want to scare them away.
• If the coyote still approaches, do not run or turn away. Increase your noise making level and actions. Back away and leave the area.
• Report negative encounters to Sonoma County Regional Parks staff.

“Remember, coyotes are an important part of the ecosystem,” SCRP said. “By regulating small carnivore numbers and providing rodent control, they improve bird habitat and diversity.”