Coyote sighted near Golden Gardens dog park

A number of My Ballard readers emailed in to report sightings of coyotes in the neighborhood early this week.

Ashli spotted a coyote outside the south gate of the Golden Gardens dog park at 1 p.m. on Monday afternoon. She reported that the coyote looked to be between 30-40 pounds and was quite calm. See her full description below:

It headed towards the heavily wooden areas on the southwest side of the dog park and disappeared. It didn’t seem to be hunting or in any sort of aggressive mindset, but I’m not a coyote expert, so I won’t hold that to fact.

The owners of small dogs should be aware of this as they bring their animals there, and many let their dogs off leash on the trails behind the park. It’d be unfortunate if we lost a little furry buddy to appease the coyote’s snack time.

Another coyote was sighted nearby this afternoon by My Ballard reader Isobel. “It ran right across Golden Gardens Drive and View Avenue this afternoon in front of my car,” she says.

If you happen to see a coyote in your neighborhood, the Humane Society stresses that you should never run away; instead, yell and shout at it until it completely leaves the area. They also advise keeping pet food and pets inside at night.

For helpful resources about coyote behavior and what to do in case of an encounter, read this from the Humane Society about coyote hazing, and this informational page from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

If you have any Ballard coyote experiences or sightings you’d like to share, email us at tips@myballard.com.