Bibliography
Bibliography
Janet Kessler — Coyote Yipps
Documenting the Lives of San Francisco Coyotes Since 2007
Since 2007, I have been documenting the lives, behavior, family relationships, personalities, and territories of San Francisco’s coyotes through continuous first-hand field observation and photography. I began sharing these observations publicly through Coyote Yipps in 2009.
The publications, interviews, presentations, exhibits, films, and educational materials below grew out of this work. They are arranged by category, with the most recent entries first.
MEDIA, INTERVIEWS & ARTICLES FEATURING MY WORK
2026
BBC News — Interview with reporter Nardine Saad concerning the coyote that swam to Alcatraz, January 2026.
The New York Times — Interview with Hannah Ziegler concerning the coyote that swam to Alcatraz, January 29, 2026.
NBC News — Interview concerning the Alcatraz coyote with anchor Jessica Aguirre, January 28, 2026.
The San Francisco Standard — George Kelly and Michael McLaughlin, coverage of the Alcatraz coyote, January 27, 2026.
New York Post — Katherine Donlevy, coverage incorporating my Instagram documentation of the Alcatraz coyote, January 27, 2026.
CBS Bay Area — Interview with Amanda Hari concerning the coyote that swam to Alcatraz, January 19, 2026.
The Guardian — Quoted in coverage of the Alcatraz coyote, January 21, 2026.
KCBS Radio — Interview with Cathy Whitman, February 1, 2026.
2025
Kensington Outlook — Interview with Jill Stockwell.
“How Humans Shape Wildlife in Urban Environments” — Xpress Magazine — Angelique Persails, December 11, 2025.
KCBS Radio — Interview with Rebecca Goodeyon, December 6, 2025.
“The Coyotes of San Francisco” — The New York Times — Heather Knight, May 2025. Interviewed and quoted. The article was also published by The Seattle Times.
CBS Bay Area Interview — Interview with Itay Hod concerning San Francisco coyotes and coexistence.
“San Francisco Dog Owners Are Howling About Coyotes” — The Wall Street Journal — Katie Bindley; interviewed concerning San Francisco coyotes and dog owners.
Urban Coyotes in San Francisco — Ytali Global — Haruna Kamei; inspired by one of my library presentations.
2024
“San Francisco Dog Owners Are Howling About Coyotes” — The Wall Street Journal — Katie Bindley, September 26, 2024.
“Fans Call Her San Francisco’s Coyote Whisperer. Why Is the City at War With Her?” — San Francisco Chronicle — Rachel Swan, September 10, 2024.
“Nothing Is Pristine: After a Coyote Bit a Kid, SF Wrestles With True Nature” — The San Francisco Standard — Brandon Reynolds, August 28, 2024.
“Officials, Experts Emphasize Rarity of Recent SF Coyote Attack” — San Francisco Examiner — James Salazar, July 2, 2024.
ABC7 News — Interview with investigative reporter Dan Noyes concerning the 2024 San Francisco Botanical Garden coyote incident, September 2024.
The Potrero View — Interview concerning San Francisco coyotes, August 2024.
“New Study Reveals What Urban Coyotes Are Really Eating in San Francisco” — SFGATE — Amanda Bartlett, March 10, 2024. Photographs by Janet Kessler.
2023
“The San Francisco Resident Documenting the City’s Coyote Population” — SFGATE — Paul Krantz, April 28, 2023; photographs by Doug Zimmerman.
“Beware of the Alpha” — San Francisco Examiner — Molly Heatherwick, March 15, 2023.
2022
“4 Myths About SF Coyotes, Debunked” — The San Francisco Standard — Julie Zigoris, November 12, 2022.
2021
“Local Naturalist Studies Coyotes Living Amongst Sunset Reservoir Solar Panels” — San Francisco Public Utilities Commission — Kelley Omran, June 28, 2021.
“A View Transformed: From Fear to Understanding” — Heart to Heart / Arden Wood — Amy Sparkman, Summer 2021.
“Reservoir Dogs: Coyotes Find a Home Amid Sunset Solar Panels” — 48 Hills — Tom Molanphy, April 21, 2021.
2020
“San Francisco Coyotes Are Back and They Are Thriving” — KQED / Bay Curious — Interview with Bianca Taylor, February 20, 2020.
The Verge / Vox Media Documentary Interview — Interview with senior producers Michelle Klug and William Poor, January 29, 2020.
“Coexisting With Coyotes — Be Careful With Pets” — Noe Valley Voice — Olivia Boler, March 2020.
“Making Peace With Coyotes” — Half Moon Bay Magazine — Tripp Robbins, March 2020.
California Sun — My work, photograph, and links featured in Mike McPhate’s daily roundup, March 6, 2020.
2019
“Caught on Camera: Presidio Coyotes Without People” — Bay Nature — Elizabeth Rogers, April 8, 2019; includes discussion of my observations.
“The Woman Who Follows Urban Coyotes” — The Guardian — Vivian Ho, February 26, 2019.
“The Need for Wildness: How Coyotes Are Finding a Place in a Changing City” — The Revelator — Tara Lohan, July 12, 2019.
“‘Tis the Season of Sharing — Let’s Share the Earth With Coyotes” — Castro Courier — Katherine Howard, December 2019.
2018
“Neighbors in the Night” — Pacifica Magazine — Vanitha Sankaran, November 2018.
2017
“San Francisco’s Urban Coyotes Have a Friend in Local ‘Coyote Lady’” — Sacramento Bee — Katherine Seligman, July 16, 2017.
“VIDEO: San Francisco Coyote Plays Fetch With Herself” — SFGATE — Graph Massara, June 21, 2017.
“How To Coexist With Wild Coyotes—From SF’s Own ‘Coyote Whisperer’” — Hoodline — Alisa Scerrato, February 20, 2017.
2016
“Bernal Hill’s Coyote Is in Danger Because People Keep Feeding It” — SFGATE — Katie Dowd, November 30, 2016.
ABC7 News — Bernal Heights Coyote — Coverage of the dangers of feeding wildlife, December 1, 2016.
“The Coyote Whisperer” — Pacific Standard — Shelby Carpenter, March 22, 2016.
2015
“The Urban Coyote Watcher” — High Country News — Leath Tonino, May 25, 2015.
“Coyote Town: Leave SF Coyotes Alone” — SF Weekly — Julia Carrie Wong, September 9, 2015.
2014
“Woman on a First Name Basis With SF Coyotes” — San Francisco Examiner — Joel Engardio, June 8, 2014.
Columbia National Wildlife Refuge / U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service — My photographs used for the refuge’s coyote and multimedia webpages, 2014.
2012
“Urban Coyotes Mate for Life” — American Museum of Natural History, Science Bulletin — November 2012; photograph by Janet Kessler.
“Connecting with Janet Kessler, ‘Coyote Lady’” — Bay Nature Connections — Courtney Quirin, November 2012.
“Keeping Peace With Urban Coyotes” — Bay Nature — Courtney Quirin, November 7, 2012; photographs by Janet Kessler.
“Urban Coyotes in Our Midst” — Bay Nature — Courtney Quirin, September 4, 2012; photographs by Janet Kessler.
2011
“SF Residents Learn to Coexist With Urban Coyotes” — Associated Press — Robin Hindery, March 11, 2011; photograph by Jeff Chiu. The Associated Press story was distributed through news outlets across the country.
“It’s a Good Time of Year to Spot Urban Wildlife” — Way Out West News — Victoria Schlesinger, June 6, 2011.
2010
“Taking Walks on the Wild Side” — The New York Times — Susan Sward, March 14, 2010.
ARTICLES, ESSAYS & PUBLICATIONS BY JANET KESSLER
2024
“Understanding Coyote Denning Behavior” — WildCare — May 9, 2024.
“First Grade Coyote Ambassadors Interview Me” — Coyote Yipps — May 31, 2024.
2017
“Bernal Coyote Hit by a Car But Recovers Quickly” — Bernalwood — April 28, 2017.
“Bernal Coyote Scared but Safe After Close Call With Dog” — Bernalwood — April 3, 2017.
2016
“The Bernal Coyote Is a Female and Human ‘Kindness’ Could Kill Her” — Bernalwood — November 29, 2016.
“Sharing Bernal Hill With Our Coyote: A User’s Guide” — Bernalwood — 2016. An explanation of frequently misunderstood coyote behaviors and guidelines for coexistence.
2015
“During Pup Season, Coyote Whisperer Warns of Canine Encounters” — Bernalwood — August 31, 2015.
“How to Get Along With Coyotes as Pups Venture Out” — Bay Nature — August 6, 2015.
2014
“Managing Urban Coyotes” — Save Sutro Forest — November 21, 2014.
“What to Do If You Encounter a Coyote” — WildCare Magazine — August 2014.
“Inside a Coyote Family” — WildCare Magazine — August 2014. Photo and text essay about the social and family lives of coyotes.
2013
“Photo Essay: Coyotes Raising Kids in San Francisco” — Bay Nature — October 16, 2013.
How to Handle a Coyote Encounter: A Primer — Self-published pamphlet for free distribution, first published January 2013.
2011
“Poisoning to Create a ‘Natural Area’” — Marina Times — April 2011.
“A Wildlife Photographer Shares Twilight Adventure in Golden Gate Park” — Golden Gate Park: Views From the Thicket — February 27, 2011.
“Urban Coyotes Have Lives” — WildCare: Live Well With Wildlife — February 2011.
“Wildlife in Focus: Coyote” — My Time at Stone Creek Golf Club — January 20, 2011.
2010
“Coyote Behavior and Peaceful Coexistence” — Marina Times — December 2010.
Also published as “Coyote Behavior and Peaceful Coexistence With Humans and Dogs” — Pacific Riptide, November 24, 2010, and by SFGATE, December 27, 2010.
2007
Myca of Twin Peaks — Self-published, September 2007. A photographic booklet documenting an encounter with one of San Francisco’s coyotes on Twin Peaks. Approximately 600 copies were distributed at cost.
“My Coyote on Twin Peaks” — Noe Valley Voice — September 2007.
PRESENTATIONS, LECTURES & PUBLIC PROGRAMS
2026
“City Creatures” Educational Craft Fair, Terra Gallery, San Francisco — Invited exhibitor and coyote educator, October 30, 2026.
UCSF Retired Staff Presentation — UCSF Faculty-Alumni House, June 25, 2026.
“Our Urban Coyotes” — San Bruno Public Library — Slide presentation, March 7, 2026.
Century Club — Invited presentation, February 25, 2026.
2025
“Understanding Coyote Denning Behavior” — Ingleside Police Station Community Meeting — May 20, 2025.
Unitarian Universalist Forum — Coyote presentation, March 23, 2025.
Presidio Golf Club & Concordia Club — Slide presentation, March 12, 2025.
Glenridge Preschool — “Coyotes Live in Families & We Need to Respect Their Space,” two children’s programs, March 5, 2025.
San Francisco Public Library and community presentations — Multiple presentations throughout the libraries of San Francisco of “SF Citizen Coyotes,” describing where San Francisco coyotes live, who they are as individuals and families, their behavior, and practical coexistence.
2024
Mount Diablo Interpretive Association — Online presentation about coyotes for the Peregrine Team, November 20, 2024.
North Beach Library — “Citizen Coyotes of San Francisco: WHERE They Are, WHO They Are, and HOW to Get Along,” November 12, 2024.
Park Branch, San Francisco Public Library — “Citizen Coyotes of San Francisco: WHERE They Are, WHO They Are, and HOW to Get Along,” August 31, 2024.
Lindsay Wildlife Experience, Walnut Creek — Invited presentation, June 30, 2024.
Covington & Burling / Salesforce, San Francisco — Coyote “Fireside Chat” with Nori Lu, June 26, 2024.
Hamlin School First Grade — Interview and discussion with first-grade “Coyote Ambassadors,” May 2024.
Bernal Earth Day Stroll — Coyote education and distribution of coexistence materials, April 21, 2024.
2023
Community Garden at Fort Mason — Poster presentation about coyotes, May 20, 2023.
San Francisco Waldorf High School — Presentation to students, April 24, 2023.
2022
San Francisco Waldorf School — Presentation to juniors and seniors, November 17, 2022.
Rotary Club of San Francisco — Presentation on San Francisco coyotes, May 17, 2022.
SF IndieFest / Roxie Theater — Panel discussion following a screening of Nick Stone Schearer’s documentary Don’t Feed the Coyotes, April 14, 2022.
2021
El Cerrito Garden Club — “Citizen Coyotes of SF: WHO They Are, WHERE They Are, and HOW to Get Along,” November 11, 2021.
Bernal Heights / St. Mary’s Park — Poster presentation, “Coyotes: WHERE They Are, WHO They Are, HOW to Get Along,” June 20, 2021.
Arden Wood, San Francisco — Presentation on West Portal coyotes and urban coyotes generally, May 10, 2021.
2020
North Beach Residents — “Coyotes: WHERE They Are, WHO They Are, HOW to Get Along,” online community presentation, December 29, 2020.
Alvarado School, San Francisco — “Coyote Citizens: WHO They Are and HOW to Get Along,” presentation for third-grade students, January 15, 2020.
El Cerrito Environmental Quality Committee — “Coyote Citizens: WHO They Are and HOW to Get Along,” January 14, 2020.
The Sequoias, San Francisco — “Coyote Citizens: WHO They Are and HOW to Get Along,” January 2020.
2019
Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA — “Inside the Lives of Urban Coyotes,” October 18, 2019.
Lindsay Wildlife Experience, Walnut Creek — “Inside the Lives of Urban Coyotes,” September 9, 2019.
Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA Summer Animal Camp — “Coyotes in SF for Animal Campers,” June 26, August 1, and August 15, 2019.
2018
Pauline’s Pizza, San Francisco — “Janet Kessler: Coyotes in San Francisco,” December 6, 2018.
Lindsay Wildlife Experience — “Zooming-in on Coyotes,” presentation for volunteers, October 1, 2018.
Western Political Science Association Annual Meeting — “Zooming-in on Coyotes,” Environmental Political Theory Workshop, March 28, 2018.
2017
San Francisco Botanical Garden — Conversation and Q&A with Children’s Garden interns, July 17, 2017.
EXHIBITIONS, FILM & PHOTOGRAPHIC WORK
National Wildlife Photo Contest — Honorable Mention Finalist, 53rd annual competition, 2024.
Don’t Feed the Coyotes — SF IndieFest — My work included in Nick Stone Schearer’s documentary; panel discussion at the Roxie Theater, April 2022.
Josephine Randall Junior Museum, San Francisco — Selected images from my Beyond the Howl exhibit, showing less-seen aspects of coyote family behavior, beginning February 2019.
Coyotes: Beyond the Howl — Photo and informational exhibition, Sausalito Public Library, January 28–March 10, 2018.
Palace of Fine Arts Lagoon, San Francisco — Interpretive panel incorporating my photographs; public opening January 14, 2011.
Celebrating Our Urban Wildness: Coyotes to Quail — Exhibition of 60 large-format photographs of San Francisco wildlife, Wallace Stegner Environmental Center, San Francisco Main Library, January 2009–July 2010. Originally scheduled for four months, the exhibition remained on view for approximately 18 months.
Myca of Twin Peaks — Solo photographic exhibition, Seed Gallery for Photography, Thoreau Center for Sustainability in the Presidio, March 20–May 16, 2008, extended through June 10, 2008. The photographs subsequently became part of the Randall Museum’s Wild in the City exhibition and remained there for six years, until the museum closed for renovation in 2016.
EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS
Citizen Coyote: Let’s Get to Know Them — An Introduction — 2017. Self-produced educational video introducing urban coyotes through my first-hand observations and photographs; designed in part for classroom use.
Ciudadanos Coyotes — Spanish-language edition.
Coyotes as Neighbors: Focus on Facts — English — 2013. Created, photographed, written, and assembled from my field observations.
Coyotes as Neighbors: Focus on Facts — Spanish
Coyotes as Neighbors: Focus on Facts — Mandarin
How to Shoo Off a Coyote — 2013. Short educational video.
Coyotes as Neighbors — Short Version — 2013.
FREE EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS, FLYERS & SIGNS
Coyote Facts and Fiction — 2012.
The Truth About Coyote Conflicts — 2012.
La Verdad Acerca de los Conflictos con Coyotes
Coexistence with Dogs — 2011.
Cómo Espantar a un Coyote Para Que Se Vaya — 2012.
Guidelines for Coexisting with Coyotes
Guía Para Coexistir con Coyotes Urbanos
Guidelines for Coexistence — Chinese
Coyote Advisory Signs — English
Coyote Advisory Signs — Spanish and Mandarin
Thousands of copies of these materials have been distributed free of charge to San Francisco neighborhoods and individuals.
RESEARCH, EDUCATION & COMMUNITY WORK
Coyote Yipps — Founded in 2009 to share and document first-hand observations of individual San Francisco coyotes, their behavior, personalities, family relationships, territorial histories, and interactions with people, dogs, and the urban environment.
San Francisco Coyote DNA Research — My field observations and documentation contributed to research by Monica Serrano, Ben Sacks, and colleagues, including San Francisco Urban Coyote Repopulation: A Noninvasive Genetic Perspective, presented in 2020.
Coyote Coexistence — Founder and former director of CoyoteCoexistence.com.
Coyote Watch Canada — Served as an advisor.
Public education in San Francisco parks and neighborhoods — Since 2007, I have spoken directly with park users, answered questions, distributed educational materials, posted information where needed, and documented coyote behavior throughout San Francisco.
My fieldwork has included Glen Canyon, Bernal Heights, Pine Lake/Stern Grove, McLaren Park, Lake Merced, Buena Vista Park, Corona Heights, Golden Gate Heights, Golden Gate Park, the Presidio, and other San Francisco parks and neighborhoods.
This bibliography documents public work growing out of my first-hand observations of San Francisco coyotes beginning in June 2007. Coyote Yipps began in 2009 as a way to share those observations more widely. My photographs serve primarily as field documentation: a visual record of identifiable individuals, families, behaviors, relationships, and events observed over time.
