Coyote Yipps

This article was printed in Ytali: Mondo, Cultura, Politica – Magazine Online diretto da Guido Moltedo. Basato a Venezia, città del mondo. Haruna Kamei became intrigued by our urban coyotes here in San Francisco, so she attended one of my talks and then contacted me. Her very complimentary letter to me, which she graciously has allowed me to reprint, is below, and her article is imbedded here.

Congratulations, Haruna, for spreading this information and the idea of easy coexistence globally!

Dear Janet,

My name is Haruna Kamei. I attended your presentation on Citizen Coyotes at the North Beach Library and found it incredibly informative and educational. Thank you once again for generously sharing your knowledge and research to help us better understand coyotes and how we can coexist with them. They are such beautiful beings, and thanks to you, I’m no longer afraid of them and feel better prepared for any unexpected encounters.

As I am a student studying Environmental Humanities and have been reflecting on multi-species worldviews beyond our traditionally human-centric perspective–on the balance between development and preservation, human comfort and the well-being of other species, and how technological advancements can support more inclusive futures–I find the reappearance of coyotes in urban environments particularly fascinating.

Could you help me better understand how coyotes, once extinct in the city of San Francisco, have made a comeback? If I remember correctly, you mentioned that the current population originated from a single pack and that all the coyotes within the city are essentially from the same family. Where did they come from, how did they get here, and is it even possible that siblings mated and expanded the population? In human terms, close inbreeding is associated with genetic issues–is this also a concern for coyotes?

Your presentation truly opened my eyes and deepened my appreciation for these animals. Thank you again for your dedication to educating local residents like myself, and I look forward to hearing back from you soon!

Best regards,

Haruna Kamei