Seattle man, dogs stalked by coyote in Volunteer Park

Seattle man shares frightening close encounter with coyote in Volunteer Park

A Seattle resident says a coyote came within feet of him and two small dogs during a busy Thanksgiving weekend walk in Volunteer Park, prompting him to shout to scare it off.

SEATTLE - A Seattle man says a casual holiday weekend stroll in Volunteer Park took a frightening turn when a coyote came within feet of him and two small dogs in broad daylight.

"It was Thanksgiving weekend and the place was packed," recalled Jason Williams, who lives near the park. "I was just walking along here and there’s a coyote less than five, six feet away."

Williams shared his story and the dramatic video he recorded of the incident on his cellphone with FOX 13. From what he saw, Williams believes the predator was stalking two small white dogs nearby him. At one point in the video, Williams can be heard shouting, "It’s a coyote! Get your dog!"

"He was not afraid of people"

What they're saying:

Williams said he eventually stepped in to scare the animal off.

"Right on the other side of the street, we have a playground of young children," shared Williams.

Williams said his concern goes beyond this one encounter.

"I would definitely want that coyote looked at because that’s not normal from what I’ve experienced with wildlife," he said. "I don’t want anybody’s dog or children to get injured."

He also questioned why the animal wasn’t seeking out other food sources in the park such as squirrels, rabbits and birds. For this reason, he thinks there could be something wrong with the coyote.

"He was not afraid of people at all," said Williams.

Wildlife officials respond

Local perspective:

After the encounter, FOX 13 reached out to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife for answers. The agency declined an on-camera interview but provided a statement.

"The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is aware of recent reports of coyotes acting aggressively in Seattle’s Washington Park Arboretum and Volunteer Park, likely due to habituation to humans and human-provided food sources," the statement read in part. "Reports include attacks on domestic dogs and a chronic lack of wariness around people."

Williams said he hopes wildlife officials remain aware of what’s happening in Seattle’s urban green spaces.

"We live in an urban forest. I expect to see animals here," said Williams. "But those ones that can be problematic, I think that we need to make sure they are aware of that incident."

WDFW has posted signs in Volunteer Park warning visitors of coyote encounters like this.

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