Small Coyote Trapped Inside Bay Area Home Rescued After Several Days

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — For days, the small coyote paced back and forth next to the high walls of a San Francisco home that sat atop a hill.

Those walls were all that separated the coyote from freedom. But its attempts to leave fell short, and the homeowners were gone on vacation.

But just when all hope seemed lost for the coyote, which shut down and curled up on a lower level of the home, Animal Care & Control officials arrived to give it a newfound lease on life.

Animal Care & Control San Francisco officials say the homeowner saw security camera footage of the coyote trying to escape since Thursday and notified the department that it was still there on Sunday morning.

An Animal Control officer arrived at the scene and used a net to gather the juvenile coyote, which remained calm throughout the process, officials said.

Although she was at first reluctant to leave the net, officials say the juvenile coyote eventually popped up and trotted away into a bush with "quite a story to tell her family."

It's unclear how the coyote got inside the house. Officials say it is currently the midst of pupping season and coyotes tend to exhibit more protective behavior, especially adults guarding their families.

"Coyotes live family units centered around a monogamous breeding pair," officials said. "These units often include older offspring from previous years. This cooperative care increases the survival rate of pups and allows the family to defend their territory more effectively, especially during the vulnerable time of pupping season."

Attacks on humans are rare, with canines usually fearing humans and going out of their way to avoid them. A coyote will usually attack under certain conditions, including when it's cornered, defending its den, if it associates a human with food or if it's injured or ill.