Wired coyote has returned
After brutally driving off our 3-year resident coyote and hanging around the area for about two months, the Wired intruder headed off to an area several miles away where I serendipitously encountered her a number of times. She appears to be roaming the entirety of San Francisco, from corner to corner. I wondered if she had permanently moved on. I wondered what her plans were. But she was gone less than a week and is now back patrolling the turf she battled for and won.
Ragged: tattered and torn in body, but not in spirit
During those two months, our previous resident coyote had been staying away and hanging low as she recovered from her severe wounds and infections. Then, during the last week she, of course, became acutely aware of her rival’s absence and was making daily forays to her old turf, bravely sticking her toe in the door — so to speak — moving to reclaim her domain. We of course no longer ever saw her romping joyously at the top of hilltops, Queen of her domain and ever so happy, but rather slithering by quickly and surreptitiously through inconspicuous places. Her tentative forays were not being met with resistance from her arch-rival and things appeared to be going well for her. That was during the week the Wired coyote was away. But now that she’s back, we’ll have to wait and see what kind of a truce, if any, is worked out between them. Let’s hope there’s not another fight.
It’s been an amazing drama, and a scary one, if you care. One has to wonder at the stress and tension being sustained by this brave little creature willing to risk life-threatening injuries to defend her turf. Although coyotes are not [corrected 7/2020] known to kill each other over their territories, the fighting can be ferocious and the injuries from these battles can be severe: it goes to show just how important their exclusive land-claims are for their survival. Again, I want to point out how intense coyote lives are, with ups and downs to match anything going on in the human world.
Coyote Yipps 
Apr 02, 2019 @ 16:31:43
Letting nature “take its course” is a fine hypothetical attitude, appropriate to us scientist, noble, nuanced, etc. but this moves me to tears. The resident coyote was –is– very precious to me. I feel connected to her. and will continue to root for her to prevail.
Apr 02, 2019 @ 18:38:25
Hi Toni — It’s absolutely heartbreaking. I don’t know anyone who is not rooting for her and her comeback. It may happen yet: coyotes are patient, resourceful and resilient. She has not given up hope, so we should not either.
Apr 02, 2019 @ 19:45:25
Thanks for all your information, knowledge and care.
This has been very sad for me, I have seen her for so long there, being alone and still happy, suddenly, she finds a nice young male coyote that started to be with her, but to defend her territory, she had to fight with another female coyote who is wired with a radio collar on her, so the fight was completely uneven. I understand nature and respect how it works, there’s not much that we can do, but in this case, makes me really mad and worry, to see that there is a coyote that is normal and another one that has a metalic radio at the place where they are more sensitive, and that will protect her in any fight that she gets into with the coyote that was living there and loved by us for 3 years.
I really hope that something happens that drives this new female coyote away.
Apr 02, 2019 @ 22:33:02
Thank you for the update on our beloved coyote. It’s great to see that she seems to have recovered from the worst of her wounds, so I’m hopeful for her future. I’m inspired by her resilience and her determination. What a wonderful animal! I don’t wish the newcomer female I’ll, since she is just trying to survive and find a home in this tough city. Please do keep us posted on developments, since we wait eagerly for news!
Apr 02, 2019 @ 23:42:10
I agree that no ill-will should be heaved on our new female: she, too, is simply trying to stay alive, and it is through no fault of her own that she was nabbed and radio-collared. Hopefully we can work on preventing the kind of human interference which gave her an advantage: that human intervention with unexpected consequences is what needs to be examined.
Apr 03, 2019 @ 00:15:11
I am so pleased that she at least physically recovered from her ordeal. For a while, I was quite worried. Their lives are indeed full of stress and tension—as well as happiness and lightheartedness. Your window into their world is something that has further hooked me on coyotes—such wonderful beings to fall in love with.
Apr 03, 2019 @ 05:14:41
Yes, their lives encompass the gamut of all emotions and states. I’m so glad to have helped you fall in love with them. They are definitely worthy of our love and admiration. Thanks, Melinda!
Apr 03, 2019 @ 06:24:30
Hi Janet.. love to read all about the ongoing lives of your Coyotes..hopefully, as you say, no more fights… they are truly wonderful animals. I love them so much… really enjoy reading all your posts ….
Hilary 🌟🥰
Apr 04, 2019 @ 06:35:46
Thank you for keeping me deeply connected to Coyote. My heart….
Apr 06, 2019 @ 02:14:44
Thank you Janet for all that you do. It is such a great service to the community. Can you please help me understand why being “wired” gives a coyote an advantage in a fight? I can’t seem to work out why that would be the case. Thank you.
Apr 06, 2019 @ 03:24:38
Hi Deb — Please read my posting on Detrimental Effects of Radio-Collars posted on March 8th.
Apr 06, 2019 @ 03:37:26
Thank you. I saw it right after I posted. Very informative.
Apr 06, 2019 @ 02:23:38
Also, what about the male? Have there been any sightings of him lately?
Apr 06, 2019 @ 03:21:25
He’s gone: no sightings at all.
Apr 06, 2019 @ 17:35:34
Has anyone seen her mate?.Sad if he left for good.
Apr 06, 2019 @ 17:59:02
Hi Jeannie — If he had been her mate, he would still be by her side. I think she was hoping for that, but he wasn’t on the same page. He traveled often and far during the time he knew her and had not really settled down. The two of them as a “pair” could have warded off the newcomer. Instead, the male, who was after all a youngster, fled. I have not heard of any sightings of him anywhere since a couple of days after the territorial battle.
Apr 06, 2019 @ 19:29:41
Thank you Janet.Sad that she does not have him around. Seemed she really enjoyed it.She had been a loner for a long time.Quite attached to that girl.
Apr 06, 2019 @ 22:56:25
Yes, the breaking up of the “pair” was the biggest part of the tragedy. Let’s see what happens: coyotes are extremely resilient.
May 01, 2019 @ 00:00:28
Janet.Have you seen her at all in the neighborhood?.I hope she is still here and did not get scared off..
May 01, 2019 @ 00:16:37
Hi Jeannie — Coyotes are highly territorial. She no longer “owns” the territory. A new coyote has moved in who is much more natural: more reclusive, as it were. Our original coyote is thriving, but not at her old homestead. I’ll post an update in a couple of days. Hope this helps! Janet
May 01, 2019 @ 01:40:37
Thank you Janet.I will really miss her.Known her for as long as had lived there.She had quite the personality.
May 01, 2019 @ 02:30:18
I think we’ll all miss her. However, it was not a good place for her: she was fed and befriended and approached constantly. She learned to approach cars and even chase them for food rewards. Hopefully she’ll regain some of her natural wariness. And hopefully she’ll hunt again, rather than sitting around with nothing to do (because she had had enough human food). I think we should see this positive result from what happened — I hope you agree! Janet
May 01, 2019 @ 03:30:58
Thinking about what you said ,I do agree.
May 01, 2019 @ 07:56:39
Hi Janet… it’s lovely to keep track of what’s happening with her, all thanks to you… I do hope it all ends well and happy…
Hilary
😊
May 01, 2019 @ 09:49:29
Hi Hilary —
I see startling similarities with humans: fortunes come and go, haves and have nots, hard times and easier times, the Hatfields and the McCoys, ups and downs, etc. Her condition now appears to be diametrically the opposite of what it had been. I’ll post an update tonight.
May 01, 2019 @ 10:02:54
Hi Janet… thanks for your reply… I always look forward to your updates.. so thank you for bringing all this life to us… they are truly wonderful, intriguing animals…
Hilary
😊
May 01, 2019 @ 15:06:04
Hi Janet.Is the new coyote the one with the tracking colar?
May 01, 2019 @ 15:47:30
Yes. And that radio-collar contributed to our coyote’s being ousted: Read my posting on “Detrimental Effects of Radio-collars“.