CALIFORNIA
One very wily coyote was spotted paddling in the dicey waters of San Francisco Bay before climbing ashore on Alcatraz Island — an unprecedented event, according to park biologists and prison-movie aficionados, who noted that most mammals try to escape Alcatraz. An unnamed tourist saw it and told Aidan Moore, who works for Alcatraz City Cruises. Moore told SFGATE that he was initially skeptical, but the guest’s iPhone footage left little room for doubt. The video shows, not a sea lion or an otter, but an actual Canis latrans, doggedly dogpaddling, then clambering out of the water, noticeably shaky and struggling to settle tired paws on the craggy rocks. His exhaustion is understandable, considering it’s a mile and a quarter from the mainland to the island. No tugboat ride for this visitor!
So, why did the coyote cross the bay? Christine Wilkinson, a conservation scientist and carnivore ecologist for UC Berkeley, believes that the coyote was “trying to find a territory of its own,” a more sophisticated version of the classic chicken motive, i.e., “to get to the other side.” Alcatraz certainly offers all the solitude that a young canine could want, lots of rodents and plenty of space. And as any good realtor will tell you, “Location, location, location,” though finding a mate could be a challenge. Do sea turtles accept four-legged passengers?
CALIFORNIA
What in the fresh Zootopia is happening in the City by the Bay? Another unusual four-legged critter sighting — a young puma prowling the real estate in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood, no doubt marveling, as we do, at the housing prices. Several locals described having close encounters with the big cat. On Madrey Hilton’s video, which she shared with KTVU, she can be heard saying, “I swear to God, am I tripping? There’s a (expletive) mountain lion,” just as the cougar ran behind a bus stop and into the park. And Lindsay Ann Cummings was walking her dog, Elvis, when she ran into the prowler: “He was three feet from us.” Cummings “locked eyes” with the lion but quickly backed into the garage and leashed her dog. The 2-year-old cougar — identified as 157M by the Puma Project in Santa Cruz — eluded Fish and Wildlife officers for several hours before they tranquilized it and returned it to the wild. Alys Granados, a wildlife ecologist with the Bay Area Puma Project, told KQED that “several young cats have ended up in San Francisco after getting lost after getting separated from their mothers.” Or maybe running away, drawn, like many young humans, to the bright lights and big city.
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK
Wildlife photographer Keith Allen Kerbs captured an amazing and frankly insane scene on video in Yellowstone National Park, showing a man “alternatively walking toward and backing away from a pack of at least five wolves.” The voices of onlookers can be heard in the background, shouting at the man, hollering, “Get out of there!” It’s a nerve-wracking video to watch: The wolves are enormous, unafraid and clearly ready to rumble, Canis lupus vs. Homo idioticus. Kerbs, who was filming from a safe distance, posted the video on his Instagram, remarking that the man “almost didn’t make it out alive.” A spokesperson for the National Park Service confirmed that the incident had been reported and the man “found and cited,” natlpark.com reported. Is “First-Degree Public Stupidity” a felony?
WASHINGTON
The flooding in King County last December prompted King County Public Health to issue a safety tip guide — in comic-book form — educating residents about what to do should you find rats in your toilet. We don’t recommend the guide for relaxing bedtime reading, but helpful tips include “try to stay calm,” though the guide acknowledges “that might not be easy under the circumstances.” Right. The guide then instructs you to close the lid and flush, following up, if necessary, by squirting some dish soap into the toilet. “The soap makes the rat slide down when you flush. It may take many flushes” — and, though the guide doesn’t say so, your plumber may never forgive you. If the problem persists, call a professional: “A large rat may not flush back down. Keep the lid closed and call a pest control company. If the rat escapes, close the door and set a trap.” Or, as the guide also does not say, you could just set fire to your house and flee shrieking into the night, then spend the rest of your life paying off therapist bills.
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This article appeared in the March 2026 print edition of the magazine with the headline “Heard around the West.”
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