The world of wildlife in Marin County is ever changing, and the coyote is a prime example. With the recent rains, we have been getting reports of both increases and decreases in coyote sightings throughout the county. In some southern neighborhoods, sightings have been sporadic, while in others, coyotes are being spotted for the first time and surprising many residents. It has become common to see coyotes during the daylight hours as well as nighttime.

Last Saturday in the Home and Garden section, there was an article about coyotes in which the reporter suggested that residents contact the local Agricultural Department for referral to a federal trapper for coyote removal. This advice may be the only solution in many counties, but it’s not what we do in Marin. Marin residents are asked to relay coyote sightings to the Marin Humane Society at 883-4621, and to request educational material about living peacefully with coyotes.

In our county, we are fortunate to have a countywide coyote coalition that has amassed a vast amount of knowledge and expertise to help people live in harmony with these valuable predators. When coyotes were first spotted in southern Marin more than seven years ago, this group of wildlife and public service agencies joined forces to create a model approach to providing the public with information about coexisting with coyotes. Experts have worked hard to develop new educational handouts, provide speakers and monitor sightings to better understand the local coyote population.

Human beings bring their own personal and cultural values to how they experience living with wildlife. Some neighborhoods brag about seeing a coyote run through their yard, while others can’t wait to move to the next concrete subdivision in San Francisco hoping to never see a wild animal again. While we can be thankful for the wild diversity within the Marin landscape, we can also appreciate the differences of opinion ascribed to a species that has had to work hard at surviving human existence. Through decades of killing, coyote experts have marvelled at coyotes’ exceptional ability to adapt to new lifestyles. One would never think coyotes would consider living in New York City, but even in that ultra urban landscape, they have adapted. Marin County offers much better quarters for this charismatic creature, so we can expect them to continue to expand here as well.

We can only coexist wisely when we learn how to share our space without unintentionally offering free room, meals and lodging. Given the opportunity, coyotes would love to take advantage of our hospitality, but we need these animals to remain wild — for their sake and ours. Here’s what you and your neighbors can do to ensure that coyotes stay wild and neighborly:

• Never leave a food or water source outside on your property.
• Do not attempt to approach coyotes or make friends with them.
• Make coyotes visiting your property feel unwelcome: Shout at them, make loud unusual noises, spray them with a hose, and throw small objects towards (not at) them. These are all “vexing” techniques.
• Keep your companion animals safe with proper supervision and confinement, especially at dawn and after dusk.
• Walk your dog on a leash in areas where coyotes have been sighted. Don’t let your dogs make friends or play with coyotes.
• Make your yard “coyote proof.” Remove attractants (such as bushes against house walls), enclose decks and staircases, reduce rodent populations (without poison), contain all waste and compost, and remove ripe and fallen tree fruit.
• And please report all sightings and concerns to the Marin Humane Society at 883-4621.

Coyotes play an important role in our local ecosystem and it is vital that we learn to live with them. Empowering ourselves with factual information is the best way to cope with neighborhood wildlife.

Cindy Machado is the animal services director at the Marin Humane Society.

Tails of Marin appears every Saturday in the Home & Garden section of the Marin Independent Journal