The Coyote Wanted to Play Ball ?
I swear. This was the strangest damn thing I have ever seen.
I just got back from taking my dog over to the little neighborhood park where we have sort of an informal doggy meet & greet in the evening. Lizzie and I were the only ones in the park. (To set the scene, here's a bad photo taken in low light with my cell phone.)
We were standing on the patio, under the Ramada, looking towards the back of the park - towards the benches cut into the hillside. I could see what I thought was a large rabbit - a bit too brown and a bit large though -- laying on the grass on the other side of the softball field. Suddenly the critter stood up and trotted up to the first bench on the hill. It wasn't a rabbit, it was an average-size coyote. He sat down facing into the park, and watched us. After a few mintues, this coyote stood up, took a few steps down the bench, and picked up something white. He carried it back to his original position on the bench, stared at us, and dropped THE BALL. He had found a softball. I could not believe what I was seeing. This coyote very deliberately dropped the ball on the edge of the catch bench and let it roll down the slope. Then he sat down again and waited. Not being a total idiot, I stayed put and didn't venture any closer (might have if I had not had the dog with me). After a few mintues, the coyote lost interest in us and wandered slowly along the bench and disappeared, completely camouflaged by the desert shrubs.
Do you think he really wanted to play??? Has he been hiding up on the hillside and watching people throwing balls for their dogs?? I am just amazed.
I just got back from taking my dog over to the little neighborhood park where we have sort of an informal doggy meet & greet in the evening. Lizzie and I were the only ones in the park. (To set the scene, here's a bad photo taken in low light with my cell phone.)
We were standing on the patio, under the Ramada, looking towards the back of the park - towards the benches cut into the hillside. I could see what I thought was a large rabbit - a bit too brown and a bit large though -- laying on the grass on the other side of the softball field. Suddenly the critter stood up and trotted up to the first bench on the hill. It wasn't a rabbit, it was an average-size coyote. He sat down facing into the park, and watched us. After a few mintues, this coyote stood up, took a few steps down the bench, and picked up something white. He carried it back to his original position on the bench, stared at us, and dropped THE BALL. He had found a softball. I could not believe what I was seeing. This coyote very deliberately dropped the ball on the edge of the catch bench and let it roll down the slope. Then he sat down again and waited. Not being a total idiot, I stayed put and didn't venture any closer (might have if I had not had the dog with me). After a few mintues, the coyote lost interest in us and wandered slowly along the bench and disappeared, completely camouflaged by the desert shrubs.
Do you think he really wanted to play??? Has he been hiding up on the hillside and watching people throwing balls for their dogs?? I am just amazed.