SAN DIEGO — North Park residents say coyote sightings are increasingly the normal way of life in their neighborhood and those with small pets are constantly on the lookout.

“We see them usually late at night. They’ll come up and down the street,” said North Park resident Andre Romero. “It’s a little scary.”

Coyotes are spread out all across the county from Escondido, Ramona, Del Mar to the urban city streets, according to the San Diego Humane Society. The agency gets about one call a week related to a coyote and hasn’t seen an uptick in calls.

“Could be possible that their territory has been uprooted as humans encroach on their territory, so there may be more of them,” said San Diego Humane Society Wildlife Rehabilitation Supervisor Angela Hernandez. “When you see so many of them it’s usually because they have become habituated to humans, so their fear of humans has begun to wear off.”

Hernandez suggests acting big and loud if you come across one while walking or on trail. Blow a whistle or shake your keys to make loud noises and always keep your small pets inside and on a leash while on walks.

“Keep resources away from backyard because sometimes they’re going in because they smell food or see water,” she added.

Neighbors in North Park are vigilant because sightings are so common.

“It does make me nervous,” Andrea Richards said. “I try to stay hyper vigilant when we are walking especially at night.”

The San Diego Humane Society says pup season ended and baby coyotes tend to leave their dens this time of year to explore, which could also explain seeing more this time of year.