Growing up in rural Oregon, I was quite accustomed to seeing
various wildlife, including coyotes. These days, seeing a coyote or two in my
daily travels is still pretty normal and I usually don’t pay that much
attention. Except for the other day.
I was working. Driving the truck downtown Portland. At
first, when I saw the coyote, walking leisurely down the sidewalk, I thought it
must be a dog. It had to be a dog, I told myself. Why would a coyote be running
around the city? Especially, downtown.
But the closer I got, the more I was convinced; it
definitely looked like a coyote. Still, I wasn’t positive. It was dark and
headlights do not always show things clearly. But then, stopping for a red
light, I got a better look. Wise to the city ways the animal paused under the streetlight,
waiting for traffic to clear. Being just a few feet away, I was certain this
was indeed a coyote.
Then the light changed and we both took off. As I lost sight
of the coyote in my mirror, I again started thinking that it had to have been a
dog.
But now, I was curious. Doing a search, I was surprised to
learn that coyote sightings in the Portland area are common with upwards of
2000 sightings per year. However, these sightings are usually on the outskirts
of town or in the suburbs, not downtown. Still, with a thriving coyote
population, seeing one in the busy part of the city was not out of the
question. When I was a kid, coyotes never even made it close to Portland.
Apparently, times have changed. There is now an estimated 500 or more living in
or around Portland.
Okay, so I guess I wasn’t imagining things after all. Good
to know. I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised though. The part of town
where I saw the coyote was near where I pick up my load—of garbage. I think a transfer
station is sort of like a buffet for coyotes.
I still find it odd, however. I’ve always considered coyotes
to be more of a rural creature, not really an urban one. But since we’re
providing them with fine dining establishments these days, I guess they’ve
discovered it’s easier to find a good meal in the city than in the country. ~
Bruce
A. Borders is the author of more than a dozen books, including: Inside Room 913, Over My Dead Body, The Journey,
Miscarriage Of Justice, The Lana Denae Mysteries, and The Wynn Garrett Series. Available in ebook at www.amazon.com/Bruce-A.-Borders/e/B006SOLWQS
and
paperback on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million. Bruce A. Borders
is a proud member of Rave Reviews Book Club.
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