Coyotes on Angel Island? And They’re Mulitplying
To our knowledge, coyotes don’t live on Angel Island. Deer, raccoons, other small animals and rodents? Sure. We’ve all seen some of those. But coyotes? That’s a new idea. But according to an article in Bay Nature, coyotes have inhabited the island since around 2017. The story refers to a sighting by a California State Parks (CSP) employee who said she saw a coyote “on the lawn of the Parks staff residences.” Her claim was dismissed, until another employee said he saw one scampering off into the bushes as he rounded a corner on his bike. Within a year of this second sighting, Parks employees began hearing the coyotes. And, as often happens, this news brought more information to light.
Ashley Kristensen, operations manager at the Angel Island-Tiburon Ferry, told about seeing coyotes swimming across Raccoon Strait. Similarly, ferry captain Aaron Swerkes said he has “seen coyotes in the strait just a couple times since his first sighting about a decade ago.” And in June 2020, Angel Island State Park wrote a social media post saying “Yes, there are now TWO coyotes on the island now!”
At that time, it was unknown if the two were a mating pair. As nature would have it, they were. This is where the timing of events is a little uncertain. The Bay Nature article says a litter of coyote pups appeared in 2019. Regardless of when it occurred, the arrival and subsequent multiplication of Canidae is causing a change in the island’s ecosystem.
“Around the time the last ferry left, the deer would come and hang out on the lawn in the visitor’s center,” State Parks interpreter Casey Dexter-Lee told Bay Nature. “Now, they aren’t in this open space as much and are a bit more cautious.” And in confirmation of the coyotes’ actions, Bill Miller, a CSP environmental scientist, says he has found a deer hoof in a coyote scat. Dexter-Lee also said that since the litter of coyotes appeared, “Parks staff have not witnessed any deer grow into adulthood.”
What does this all mean for the future of Angel Island’s ecosystem? Initially it appears the coyotes are preying on sick and injured animals and young fawns, thereby reducing the deer population and potentially reducing the damaging effects the deer have had on the island’s natural vegetation. But deer aren’t the only animals on the menu. There is a real concern for the Angel Island mole, a subspecies of mole that is found only on Angel Island.
To get a better picture of the situation, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has begun collecting coyote scat and installing wildlife cameras “to determine their genetics, diets, and movements.” They hope to provide estimates of the deer and coyote populations within the coming year.
In the meantime, let us know if you’ve seen coyotes on the island or swimming the strait.
Yes, I’ve seen a coyote on Angel Island. It was on the hillside quite close to the restrooms near the group picnic area that overlooks Ayala Cove. This was a few years ago, probably pre-COVID, around Easter.
I have seen coyotes twice on the beaches. They did not stick around and ran away quickly but there was no mistake as to what I was seeing.
I’ve a picture of one near the museum steps taken just couple of weeks ago.
Coyote sightings should be immediately reported if they are seen in hot air balloons with anvils, using dynamite, or receiving packages marked Acme!
Nice, Jim 😂
Yes, we spent a lot of time moored off Angel Island during vacations during the pandemic and saw coyotes on the beach frequently. I also distinctly remember hearing the howls of a coyote pack at night while there- I have a recording of it somewhere, it was so beautiful.
Did they swim there?
Me and my husband had an encounter with one on the last loop before the steps down to the beach and jetty. We rounded the bend and this animal was stood on the path – we’re British and we don’t have them here -thought it was a fox! He turned away and wandered along the path occasionally looking over his shoulder to keep an eye on us. We wandered along about 20 feet behind him. This continued for 4/5mins and he then hopped into the shrubs and disappeared. It wasn’t until I was looking at the notice boards on the harbour whilst waiting for the ferry that I realised it was a coyote! It made our day.