The past few weeks have featured a slew of wild animal mishaps, adorable escapes, and terrifying tranquilizer guns -- and Twitter accounts, we suppose -- but no single beast has become more of a menace than the coyotes that torment West Seattle. Sure, other cities have the same problem (Federal Way comes to mind), but no other neighborhood does a better job of publicizing their canine pests, sharing sightings, and tormenting us with horrible stories about feline fiascos.
That said, WSB's coverage of the coyote invasion has been pretty top-notch, and their story about a little guy who was curious enough to follow some West Seattle residents for a few blocks is legitimately concerning for small dog owners and people who have, you know, kids. Lucky for us Seattleites who are unfamiliar with coyote-scarin' procedures, they've given us a handy-dandy guide to frightening the little guys off, courtesy of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife:
"If a coyote ... approaches, pick up small children immediately and act aggressively toward the animal. Wave your arms, throw stones, and shout at the coyote. If necessary, make yourself appear larger by standing up ... or stepping up onto a rock, stump, or stair."
Or get them hopelessly lost in the Junction and tell them to find I-5. Bet they'll bail on West Seattle then!
· WDFW
· West Seattle coyotes: how to handle a close encounter [WSB]
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