Coyote Visits Our Neighborhood

by Marlene Berlin

Do you sometimes see something and doubt your hold on reality?

Well, last Saturday morning, I had just finished breakfast and I happened to head towards the front door and look out onto the street. I saw a coyote marching down the sidewalk. Then I saw two police cars trailing it.

I just stood there for a few moments taking it all in before jamming my feet into sandals and hightailing it down our front steps to the front walk. I glanced toward Albemarle to see the animal cross the street and head toward 29th Street (I am on 30th). The two police cars turned and continued to follow it. I only wish I had had my cell phone handy to capture this.

The curious thing about this sighting is that just the previous week, I was in the Rock Creek Park Nature Center, where they have a display room of plants and animals which are found in the park. My eye caught a sketch of a coyote, a stuffed one has not made it into a display case yet, and I started to read the description.

A little boy looked up to me with curious eyes and asked, “What do coyotes eat?”

I read to him, “Mice and rats, and they make good neighbors.” I think some would beg to differ.

Local news channel WUSA 9 presents this report about coyotes in Rock Creek Park: WUSA9.com/video/846129740001/1/Coyotes-Now-In-DC-And-Every-County-Around-It.

And here is what the National Park Service has to tell us about coyotes.