SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — A man and his son got unexpectedly up close and personal with nature while hiking a trail at a California park.
Marc Estoque said he and his son were riding their electric scooters with their dog in tow along a trail at the Golden Gate Park when they came across 14 raccoons.
“Never seen that before,” Estoque’s son said in a video of the encounter.
As the bushy-tailed creatures stood staring at them, Estoque’s son then whispers: “Dad. A coyote.”
The camera pans to a coyote lurking just a few feet from the path behind some trees, possibly drawn by the raccoons.
The National Park Service says coyotes help regulate the number of small rodents, skunks and raccoons.
“In short, they help to maintain balanced, biodiverse ecosystems,” the NPS says on its website.
Credit: Marc Estoque (video screengrab) 
Credit: Marc Estoque (video screengrab)
While Estoque, his son and their dog were able to leave the area safely, the NSP said coyotes’ close proximity to human development presents “unique challenges for promoting visitor safety.”
The NPS recommends that people maintain a safe distance from wild animals and refrain from feeding them.
