Series description
Coyotes were widespread throughout the city of San Francisco in the early 1900s. However, a government-sponsored campaign that encouraged residents to poison or shoot this native species led to them vanishing from the area. More than 75 years passed before they re-emerged in the city in the early 2000s, a testament to their resilience and adaptability. There is now a steady population estimated at around 100 individuals, but co-existence between an apex predator and city-dwelling people is not without its challenges. Generally speaking, though, scientists say it is not the coyotes of San Francisco that are the problem, but humans. Fishermen leave bait on piers, picnickers leave scraps in parks, rubbish bins spill over with detritus that the coyotes relish and some locals break the law and intentionally feed them.
A coyote photographed with a remotely-triggered camera walks in front of the downtown skyline in San Francisco. Although coyotes are native to the area, they were once eradicated from the city limits. After an absence of more than 75 years, they have now started to return.
© Loren Elliott, United States, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Wildlife & Nature, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
A curious coyote inspects a remote camera while walking an urban park trail in San Francisco. Coyotes have been spotted in cities around the USA, including Chicago, Los Angeles and New York, but in San Francisco they have become both ubiquitous and contentious.
© Loren Elliott, United States, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Wildlife & Nature, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Coyotes and people peacefully co-exist at a sports complex, where practice takes place on one baseball diamond and coyotes hang out on another.
© Loren Elliott, United States, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Wildlife & Nature, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
A coyote watches passing cars while waiting for an opportunity to safely cross a road in San Francisco. Vehicle strikes are the leading cause of death for the city’s coyotes.
© Loren Elliott, United States, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Wildlife & Nature, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Lt. Stephanie Ryer of San Francisco Animal Care and Control responds to a call about a coyote suffering from a bad case of mange in southern San Francisco. The coyote evaded capture, while also evading being hit by a vehicle.
© Loren Elliott, United States, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Wildlife & Nature, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Dr. Phoebe Parker-Shames, a wildlife ecologist, takes samples from a dead coyote involved in repeated conflict incidents, after it was killed by a federal agent in San Francisco. ‘It was really unusual, troubling behaviour,’ said Deb Campbell, a spokeswoman for San Francisco Animal Care and Control.
© Loren Elliott, United States, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Wildlife & Nature, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Members of a coyote family, photographed with a remote camera, as the young pups gain confidence and venture further from their den on a San Francisco golf course.
© Loren Elliott, United States, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Wildlife & Nature, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Coyote pups, photographed with a remote camera, play with a golf ball near their den on a golf course in San Francisco.
© Loren Elliott, United States, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Wildlife & Nature, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards