After seven long months of negotiating with the National Park Service, and hundreds of emails from concerned citizens supporting Little Blue Society's Sanctuary Proposal, the National Park Service reluctantly agreed to send Big Ears to the sanctuary.

On September 23rd, Chief Ranger Yvette Ruan contacted Ms. Paglieri to set up a meeting.  At the meeting, Paglieri was informed that Brian O'Neill, Park Superintendent, had agreed to tranferring Big Ears to the designated sanctuary.  Ruan made it very clear they were not happy with this decision, and if it had been up to her, Big Ears would have been shot earlier this year.  Ruan contacted Karen Wilson, Director, Marin WildCare Center, and informed her of the decision as well.

However, Chief Ranger Ruan stated the sanctuary move would happen only under one condition - Little Blue Society and the Marin Wildcare Center was not to contact the Media about their decision. 

They also declined LBS's help in trapping the coyote - although they knew that Ms. Paglieri could positively identify and draw Big Ears into the area to expedite the trapping, which would eliminate leaving an active trap over night, increasing the probability of injuring other non-target coyotes and wildlife.

"The fact that they declined to hire a trapper, who would be sucessful in expediting the transfer of Big Ears, and opted to find someone in the yellow pages, raised a red flag," Paglieri said. "It was then that I had a sinking feeling that they had other plans for Big Ears."

BIG EARS DISAPPEARS WITHOUT A TRACE - SEPTEMBER 25TH
The last time Paglieri saw Big Ears was on September 24th, the day after the meeting with the NPS.  The following day on the 25th,  the little coyote disappeared without a trace. 

Several months passed without any sign of Big Ears.  Ms. Paglieri waited everyday in the areas the coyote used to frequent; the stables paddock where she played with the horses' toys and the area she would pass through daily at dusk.  Paglieri listened for the family's howling at dusk, but didn't hear Big Ears' signature call.  Nor did she see Big Ears in her home territory.

"It's impossible for a habituated coyote to disappear like this, without having had some kind of help," said Ms. Paglieri.  "If she were alive, she would have returned to her home range.  It appears their [NPS] agreeing to send Big Ears to the sanctuary was simply a smoke screen inorder to cover up what they were planning on doing all along and to eliminate public pressure."

NEWSPAPER ARTICLE PROVIDES A CLUE TO BIG EARS' DISAPPEARANCE
In the follow-up article that appeared in the Marin Scope 11.13.08 , Chris Powell, GGNRA Spokesperson stated they had used a "hazing" technique on Big Ears, and that they hoped it had been successful. 

When Paglieri and Karen Wilson, Director, Marin Wildcare Center, questioned Chief Ranger Ruan about the "hazing technique" and why it had been used when Big Ears was to be sent to the sanctuary, Ruan stated that Powell was taking credit for and referring to the prior hazing they had used on Big Ears.  "hazing" injury Big Ears sustained at the GGNRA earlier, in July 2008 (Graphic content).

Ruan was referring to the last, publically known, unsuccessful attempt the NPS made to scare Big Ears out of the Park in October 2007, when they shot her with rubber bullets and paintball guns.

Paglieri was disbelieving. 

"So, the coyote had a delayed reaction? You mean after eleven months, the coyote had a headslapping moment, where she finally realized the NPS was trying to scare her out of the Park, and left?

"What a disappointment.  In the ten years or more that we have partnered and worked with cities, counties and other governmental agencies, this is the first time our efforts and the efforts of other well-meaning organizations have been met with such hostility and resistance.  Resistance to take what was obviously the most ethical action with Big Ears who became habituated through no fault of her own. 

"The American people have entrusted the National Park Service to protect and care for the wildlife that make their home in the Marin Headlands, Golden Gate National Recreation Area.  However, their wildlife management practices leave a lot to be desired.  It's high time that they change their philosophy and modify their practices to include other options besides killing."

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