Navy orders that Discovery Park coyote be shot

A coyote that snatched a cat and chased a small dog in Discovery Park has earned a death sentence from the military.

A spokesman for Naval Station Everett confirmed Sunday that a marksman is scheduled to shoot the animal, which has been boldly approaching a cluster of military homes inside the park.

"The concern is for the health and safety of the people up there," said public-affairs officer Rick Huling. "There are a lot of people with small children, and that's a concern particularly when you have an animal that is acting strangely."

But the move may put the Navy in conflict with the city of Seattle, which last week asked the military to remove leg traps set out to snare the coyote.

"The City does not set traps or otherwise harm wildlife on public property," says a Jan. 23 news release from Mayor Greg Nickels' office.

Julia Allen, who sits on the Discovery Park Advisory Council and the board of Friends of Discovery Park, said the idea of shooting an animal in or near the busy park is outrageous.

"We have coyotes all over the city of Seattle," she said. "It's just urban wildlife."

The military officers' housing in Discovery Park is a remnant of Fort Lawton, a former Army base that commanded the Magnolia bluffs for more than 70 years before being converted to the city's largest park. The 26 elegant Victorian homes, with wide porches and marine views, sit on a parcel of Navy land inside the park. Most who live there are naval officers and their families.

Resident Kristi Korfanta-Harris said she saw the coyote carrying a neighbor's cat in its jaws, injuring the pet so badly it had to be euthanized. The coyote also chased another neighbor's small dog.

"It shows up all times of day, even comes up on your porch," she said. "It's not afraid of humans."

But Korfanta-Harris said she doesn't want the animal to be harmed. "I would just like it to go away."

The two traps were set out more than a week ago on federal land but very close to the park boundary. Park officials weren't notified, said Allen, who located the traps after hearing of the Navy's plan. Small warning signs were posted near the buried traps but were difficult to read, she said.

"We're so lucky a child didn't step on them, or a dog."

Allen alerted the city parks department, which asked the state to revoke a permit required for the traps. The traps were removed.

Huling, the Navy spokesman, said he didn't know when the coyote would be killed. The shooting will be done by a marksman certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees a program to control coyotes.

"It's being done through the proper channels, by a professional," Huling said.

Allen said she will appeal to the city to stop the killing.

Sandi Doughton: 206-464-2491 or sdoughton@seattletimes.com