Coyote sightings go up in Seattle as the weather cools. Photo: Lisa Abbott/Courtesy of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Seattle's coyotes are making themselves more seen — and heard — and wildlife officials are taking note.
Sightings are upacross the city and suburban neighborhoods, but the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife says it's a seasonal trend.
Bare trees make the animals easier to spot, and they're roaming farther as prey grows scarce, spokesperson Chase Gunnell tells Axios.
Coyotes are well-established in Seattle's parks and greenbelts and are an important part of the urban ecosystem, where they help control rodent and rabbit populations.
Sightings also spike in spring when they're raising pups and display what Gunnell called "escorting behavior" — when adult Canis latrans follow people or pets to steer them away from a den.
They're most active at night and around dawn and dusk.
Threat level: Most avoid people, but a few in Volunteer Park and the Arboretum have grown aggressive — likely after being fed, said Gunnell.
He and other officials say the fix is to leash pets, secure trash and don't feed wildlife.
