Pangolin Pictures has been hired by the Discovery Channel to produce a film about animal encounters. Justin, from Pangolin, emailed our sister site, MyBallard, after hearing about recent raccoon and coyote encounters in Ballard and Queen Anne. He wrote:

We are working on a film that will air on the Discovery Channel later this year about how animals and humans struggle to coexist in urban and suburban environments. This is NOT some sort of “When Animals Attack” show, it’s a serious natural history project, featuring biologists, animal experts, and people who have had encounters with these animals. The aim is to educate people on why these animals are showing up in their yards and what can be done to stay safe.

Here in Queen Anne we’ve had quite a few run-ins with raccoon and coyotes, but the folks at Pangolin Pictures are looking for stories involving other animals as well. “We are looking at raccoons, coyotes, poisonous spiders, snakes, alligators and fire ants. By all means if people have had dangerous encounters with coyotes or been bitten by spiders I would like to speak with them as well,” Justin wrote. Production will begin this month. Anyone interested in sharing a story, can email him at justin@pangolinpictures.com.

11: a.m. update: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife officials confirm that a 40 pound male coyote was trapped and killed this morning in Magnolia. “It’s unfortunate to have to take this action, but public safety is our first priority,” said Captain Bill Hebner, who heads WDFW’s enforcement program for the northern Puget Sound region. “We are confident this is the coyote that was approaching people in a dangerous manner and had attacked pets.”

The second coyote that has been seen wandering around Magnolia is believed to be a female. Hebner says the WDFW will continue to monitor her whereabouts by reports sent in by residents. The female may not pose safety risks now that the more aggressive male has been killed, the press release states.

9 a.m. update: Our news partners, The Seattle Times, is now reporting that one coyote has been killed. According to the paper, wildlife officials say the male coyote was caught in a leg trap and shot by a wildlife officer on private property early this morning. Officials are still trying to determine whether to trap and kill the second coyote that has been seen around the neighborhood.

Earlier: Officers from the Department of Fish and Wildlife along with Seattle Police are attempting to hunt and kill at least two coyotes in the Magnolia area, reports our newspartner the Seattle Times. “We determined we have a human health and safety risk,” said DFW’s Bill Hebner, who says officers are working in the morning hours to find the coyotes. “If they can secure a safe shot and be 100 percent sure, they’ll take it.”

DFW and workers from the BNSF Railway are also setting traps for the coyotes. If they catch one, they’ll “humanely dispatch it,” Hebner says.

Although Fish and Wildlife officials and Seattle Police are looking for the coyotes primarily in Magnolia and along the railroad through Interbay, given that they’ve been spotted all over Queen Anne recently, it is a possibility they are still in the area. The coyotes have been wandering Magnolia streets since  November, but were not seen in Queen Anne until recently. One of the coyotes attacked a dog on in Magnolia on January 11, who was badly injured by will recover.

DFW cites the seemingly increasing aggression of the two coyotes as reasoning for hunting them down. The agency will not attempt to move the coyotes because, as KING5 reports, once they’ve lost their natural fear of humans they cannot be successfully relocated. Hebner says the department is worried the coyotes could get more aggressive, potentially attacking humans, sighting two separate cases in East King County in 2006 when two children were attacked and needed medical attention, and another case in 2007 when a child in Kent was bit.

Out sister-site, MagnoliaVoice, will be updating on this story as it progresses.

The two coyotes that have been roaming around Magnolia for the last couple of months may have made their way over to Queen Anne. One reader, who wishes to remain anonymous, has written in to report two sightings on the west side of the hill yesterday, Monday, January 18.

(Photo taken from previous sighting via sister-site, MagnoliaVoice, courtesy of reader Ginni Wilson who spotted the coyote in the front yard of her Magnolia home.)

Our tipster wrote,

I saw a large male coyote last night at 5:30pm at 12th Ave West and Gilman heading toward 15th Ave. It appeared to be looking for food. Spoke with a police officer and he said there are two coyotes, one male and one female, living near the Interbay Golf Center and the male is aggressive and has killed at least two dogs. Spoke with another neighbor in QA that lives near 10th and she found a coyote yesterday morning, she believes it was the smaller female one, on the other side of her picket fence nose to nose with her dog. She scared it away by spraying it with water from her garden hose.

We haven’t confirmed whether or not the coyotes have in fact been responsible for killing two dogs. One small dog was attacked by one of the coyotes in Magnolia last week, and although vets initially thought she wouldn’t make it, she has pulled through and – after over $1,000 in vet bills (generously covered by two anonymous donors) – is recovering well.

Although coyote attacks on domestic animals are considered highly uncommon, the recent sightings and the fact that the two coyotes roaming the area don’t seem to be shy around people at all, leaves some concern for the safety of pets and small children. According to wildlife officials, there were no documented coyote attacks on people in the state until April, 2006, when the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife had to euthanize two coyotes who bit two young children in Bellevue. It is believed this unusually aggressive behavior may be a result of coyotes being fed by people, which is why official urge residents to never give them food, even inadvertently. To avoid attracting a coyote, never leave pet food outside, secure your garbage containers, compost and gardens, and pick up fallen fruit and spills from bird feeders. It is also recommended that small pets, including outdoor cats, are brought into the house as much as possible, especially at night.

Read more information on what to do if you come across a coyote here. You can read the Seattle Times coverage of the recent sightings here. And if you see one of the coyotes around the neighborhood, comment below, or email us information and pictures to tips@queenanneview.com