Coyote pack sighted in foothill town

SAN ANTONIO HEIGHTS, Calif. (KABC) -- It's not unusual to run into a lone coyote, especially near the foothills, but imagine coming across a pack of nine coyotes.

That's what happened to Ron Williams in San Antonio Heights early one morning.

"I've lived up here since 1980, and I've never seen, I've seen maybe three or four searching, but nothing like that," said Williams.

Williams says he saw them prowling around in his neighbors' yard right next door.

As soon as he made some noise, they took off, but coyotes are unpredictable and that's the worry.

"People walking a dog at dusk or night, it is dangerous, because you don't know how they might get panicked; there's no telling what they'll do," said Williams.

The Department of Fish and Game says it's somewhat of a myth that coyotes are coming down from the foothills. They say they're actually living much closer to us than we might think.

They say coyotes like backyards and flood control channels, and one of the big reasons they come down into the neighborhoods is for food. One of the big culprits are unsecured trash cans.

"We need to be aware that these wild animals are out there, and especially watch our pets," said Ken McNeil of San Antonio Heights. "Keep any dog food that we have inside when our pets aren't eating. Just be aware that there are wild animals in our area."

There are also concerns of people intentionally feeding the wild animals.

"Well that's a big mistake if they do that," said Williams.

The concern is that coyotes in the area will get used to people and come even closer, and then who knows what could happen.

"It's not like a pet where you know their routine and they know yours. These are wild animals and they're unpredictable," said McNeil.

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inland empire news, rob mcmillan

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