Janet Kessler has been watching San Francisco’s wild coyotes for 16 years.
She knows individual coyotes by face, has helped with genealogical studies, and spends time observing them almost every day. The 73-year-old self-taught naturalist is known to some as San Francisco’s “Coyote Lady” for her efforts to document and represent the city’s residents, who some say are its least valued residents.
But Kessler has never officially studied biology and hasn’t previously worked in a related field — she’s been a hostess, editorial assistant, paralegal, and ran an art gallery at various points in her life. After her last job ended, she took up playing the pedal harp, but that occupation ended after she cut her finger on the lid of a tin can.
One of Janet Kessler’s photos of coyotes in San Francisco.
Photo by Janet Kessler
“During this healing period I met my first coyote. A coyote magically appeared when I needed it,” Kessler said. “The more I learned about coyotes over time, the more immersed and engaged I became.”
Kessler’s fascination turned into a full-time job. She is not paid for any part of her work as a coyote observer and advocate, but she wholeheartedly rejects the term “retired.”
“Retirement means pausing and calming down. I’m very active,” Kessler said, adding that she regularly works more hours than a regular job requires.
Easy access to ample open space is one of the greatest perks of living in San Francisco for Kessler, who notes that more than 18% of the city’s area is parkland. “What more could anyone with a natural history inclination want?” she said. “I can wake up before sunrise and enjoy a walk to Twin Peaks without meeting another soul.”
Janet Kessler walks while photographing coyotes in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California April 27, 2023. Kessler has been taking pictures of the coyotes in the park for years.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
One of Janet Kessler’s photos of coyotes in San Francisco.
Photo by Janet Kessler
(Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE/Photo by Janet Kessler)
Kessler regularly enjoys early morning and evening walks in the open spaces of San Francisco, a habit she’s maintained since her first coyote encounter. She began bringing a camera to document her presence and behavior.
“I don’t see myself as a photographer; Rather, the camera is a notebook for recording data,” Kessler said, adding that she started out shooting with a simple digital point-and-shoot and eventually upgraded to a mirrorless camera with a 650mm lens — a setup , which puts them on par with professional wildlife photographers.
In 2008, Kessler began collecting fecal samples that were eventually used for research on the local population. A team of students from UC Davis’ Mammalian Ecology and Conservation Unit analyzed the DNA and gained insight into the animal’s local genealogy.
One of Janet Kessler’s photos of coyotes in San Francisco.
Photo by Janet Kessler
A study examining 97 fecal samples from at least 30 individuals concluded that the population of San Francisco is “essentially a single, randomly interbreeding population or family group.” These results appear to confirm what Kessler has believed for years — that the city’s coyote population began with four to six individuals, which were reintroduced sometime around 2002.
More DNA studies are underway, which Kessler expects will confirm the family relationships she has documented and possibly uncover others. In addition, other researchers are analyzing the fecal samples as part of a nutritional study. Early results suggest that urban coyotes are consuming more human food than previously thought.
She began posting information about the coyote population in San Francisco on her Coyote Yipps blog in 2009, and later began sharing her photos on an Instagram account of the same name. Kessler even wrote a few manuscripts for books about the San Francisco coyotes, one of which detailed her encounters with a particular coyote she named Myca. Kessler self-published Myca of Twin Peaks, and copies of the book have been sold in San Francisco’s independent bookstores. She also lectures around town.
Janet Kessler poses while photographing coyotes at Golden Gate Park on April 27, 2023 in San Francisco, California. Kessler has been taking pictures of the coyotes in the park for years.Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
Eventually, Kessler’s work transformed her from casual observer to coyote advocate. While headlines about coyotes typically focus on alleged attacks, she claims coyotes are more like us than most people realize.
“You’re a lot smarter than most people think. They think and plan ahead, they have a direction and a sense of what they’re doing,” Kessler said. “They have individual relationships and routines. They protect their territories, they like and dislike each other. They love to play, they hunt for a living, they have impeccable memories.”
She added that coyotes tend to mate for life, but just like humans, it’s occasionally more complicated. Coyotes are territorial, with a mating pair claiming and defending a territory. This area includes where they hunt and forage and also where they raise their family. In both urban and wild environments, coyote life cycles typically follow an annual cycle.
One of Janet Kessler’s photos of coyotes in San Francisco.
Photo by Janet Kessler
Pup season usually begins in April in San Francisco when a litter of one to seven coyote pups is born. The pups remain in their den, with both parents working together to bring them food, until they are big enough to get outside and learn how to hunt. “There’s a lot of play and family activities,” Kessler said. “Tug of war and things that human children do – just to flex their muscles.”
When the pups are about 9 months old and fully grown, they will begin to disperse and leave their families to find a mate and territory of their own. Kessler notes that propagation occurs at different times for different people. In town, she’s noticed that most puppies diverge sometime in the second year of life. In the next year’s puppy season, the cycle repeats itself.
The dispersal phase is a particularly dangerous time for urban coyotes as they leave parks and open spaces and migrate through more urban areas in search of a place to live.
“There have been major changes in some of the coyote families this winter due to deaths, relocations, or territorial takeovers. I’m excited to see how things settle down,” Kessler said. She added that she welcomes photos of local coyotes along with notes of where and when they were seen to help her track their movements and territories.
Janet Kessler poses while photographing coyotes at Golden Gate Park on April 27, 2023 in San Francisco, California. Kessler has been taking pictures of the coyotes in the park for years.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
Janet Kessler poses while photographing coyotes at Golden Gate Park on April 27, 2023 in San Francisco, California. Kessler has been taking pictures of the coyotes in the park for years.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
One of Janet Kessler’s photos of coyotes in San Francisco.
Photo by Janet Kessler
(Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE/Photo by Janet Kessler)
The number one cause of accidental death in coyotes living in urban areas is automobile accidents. In 2021, 24 coyotes killed by cars were picked up in the city, Kessler said.
Still, Kessler believes the local population is relatively stable and that the city’s coyotes aren’t going away anytime soon. “I think it’s pretty clear that coyotes live in cities because those areas attract them,” she said. “Coyotes are not shot here in the same way as they are in rural areas or ranching areas, and their diet is supplemented by our trash.”
The most important thing people need to know about coyotes, Kessler says, is to keep pets on a leash when they’re around and walk away from them.
“Coexistence is really easy – stay away from them. Don’t let pets roam free and don’t feed them.”
Paul Krantz is an Oakland-born writer and journalist currently based in Berlin. He has an MA in digital journalism and typically focuses on the environmental impact of human activities.
