MIRA MESA, Calif (KGTV) - The owner of a small dog in Mira Mesa feels a Sunday night situation could've been a whole lot worse.
A neighbor of Bryan Kramer's home surveillance cameras captured the moments that more than startled the man and his best friend.
"I've been taking her out for a nightcap, you know, between 10 and 11 for about a good year, and I was never worried about anything," Kramer, whose dog narrowly avoided a coyote attack, said. "I brought her and let her go into the yard here. We had just started walking in that direction. And then the coyote apparently snuck up on the other side of the street here and just about had her for lunch or for dinner, I should say."
It was a brief but scary moment for Kramer and his two-year-old dog Delilah that could've been a whole lot worse.
"The coyote missed its intended target, or maybe I startled it at the last minute. I don't exactly know what happened," Kramer said. "It all happened like before I even realized more or less. It was just really very fortunate because she could've gotten hurt."
Seeing a coyote isn't an uncommon sight.
Doctor Alexander Heeren of the California Department of Fish & Wildlife said during this time of the year, coyotes in Southern California will likely be having their pups. Residents may see more coyotes as the young pups grow up and start venturing out of their dens.
"People tend to be also more outside," Heeren said. "They tend to go out recreate, maybe go hiking, biking, walking their dogs, and because people are more active, they might encounter coyotes as well."
Herran said wildlife sightings increase each year.
One thing contributing to that is things like camera footage like this.
"With new technology, whether it's social media, camera doorbells and other sorts of technology, they're seeing wildlife and being able to report those sightings through means that they haven't been able to do so in the past," Heeren said.
After having this coyote scare turn almost into a coyote attack, Kramer's on high alert when walking his precious Delilah.
"We're going to try to shift her schedule a little bit to adjust for that. I'm also carrying a stick with me if it's late and if it's dark. And I'm keeping my out for that sucker."
Heeren said while their department is seeing an increase in wildlife or coyote sights, it's hard to analyze. He told ABC 10News it's hard to know if it's contributed to a growing coyote population or people having a a better knowledge of filling sighting reports.
