Dead coyote in Belvedere might have been poisoned, expert says

The male coyote in a mated pair that’s been living in Belvedere for two years has been found dead, with the city’s expert saying the animal may have ingested poison.

If it was intentional, she said, she plans on finding out who did it.

A resident reported the coyote carcass on Belvedere Way to the city’s monitoring system Oct. 21, and the city’s wildlife consultant, Rebecca Dmytryk of Humane Wildlife Control, found the animal the next day. She said the coyote was on its side with its legs straight out, its mouth open and its tail erect, which signaled to her that the animal died in agony. The coyote’s position suggested it ingested poison, Dmytryk said, though she is waiting on a toxicology report from the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory and to confirm the animal is the male of the mated pair.

It’s unclear if the potential poisoning was intentional or accidental, Dmytryk said, pointing to rumors that residents irked by the animals, who frequently stalk and sometimes kill pets, want to poison and kill the coyotes.

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