Agency will first try to trap, rather than shoot, Discovery Park coyote

The coyote that has been roaming Discovery Park won't be shot after all, at least not this week, the federal Department of Agriculture (USDA) said this morning.

Instead, the agency likely will try to trap the animal, which the USDA said is a danger to people and animals living in and near the park. If the animal is trapped, it likely will be euthanized, said Ken Gruver, assistant state director for USDA Wildlife Services in Olympia.

"The coyote is showing aggressive tendencies to people and animals," he said. "There's an indication it's losing its fear of humans and could be a human health and safety issue." The coyote has snatched a cat and chased a small dog in the park.

He said his agency plans to meet with the city later this week to discuss the coyote problem, and can't rule out the possibility the animal will be shot.

"We have to wait and see what the Navy wants to do," Gruver said.

Gruver said several weeks ago the USDA sent specialists to investigate the coyote problem and didn't see the animal, but talked to worried residents. The USDA then set traps but later removed them.

Whatever the USDA decides to do, said Gruver, it won't happen on park property but near the park's military housing.

When it thought the USDA planned to kill the coyote, the city of Seattle said it would put extra staff at entrances to the park today to keep anyone with a firearm from shooting the coyote. Now, with the change in plans, that isn't happening.

On Sunday, a spokesman for Naval Station Everett said a marksman was 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."

The move has 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.

Joelle Ligon, Seattle Parks spokeswoman, said the city called the Navy and the agency that manages the military housing in the park. The city also plans to ask the state Department of Fish and Wildlife to assess the danger of the coyote in the park.

She said the USDA this morning agreed to meet with the city before it does anything about the coyote.

The city opposes trapping the animal and claims that last time the USDA tried to trap the coyote the traps were placed too close to park property. "We don't believe the coyote is a harm to humans," she said, adding that the city may propose legislation banning the ownership of pets in city parks. This would only apply to Discovery Park, the only park with homes.

"If there's a danger to humans we'll formulate a plan. If it's not a danger, we want it to stay in the park," she said. "We do not harm wildlife in a park," she said.

As far as animals being endangered by the coyote, she said dogs in the park are to be on leashes and cats should be kept indoors.

"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 before the plan was changed, 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."

Gruver said the USDA hasn't decided what it will do with the coyote, whether it will be trapped or shot, although the USDA has shot coyotoes in the state before. If it is trapped, it will be euthanized, he said. "This one has been killing pets," said Gruver, "and has been aggressive to people. The fear is the possibility that someone may get bitten."

He said urban coyotes are an annoyance, but most don't cause problems like the Discovery Park one does. "I regret we have to do something with this guy," Gruver said, "but we need to protect human safety."

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.

Susan Gilmore: 206-464-2054 or sgilmore@seattletimes.com

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