The county has removed and killed seven coyotes from Altadena this summer as an increasing number of pet attacks and coyote sightings have been reported in town.
Raymond Smith, of the county's Weed Hazard and Pest Management Bureau, told the public at Tuesday's Altadena Town Council meeting that the county traps and kills the coyotes when they appear to have become a nuisance in the area.
He said that the county will only target and trap the coyotes when officials believes the level of contact between the public and the animals has become too much of a problem. In the long term, people need to be prepared to coexist with the animals, he said.
"Nothing that I can do, or the Sheriff’s Department, or anyone else, is going to get rid of them," Smith said.
He said the program to trap and kill the animals will continue until the department believes they are no longer a problem for Altadena residents.
One resident of the Meadows, MaryEllen Schoeman, who is a wildlife rehabilitator, spoke at the meeting against the county's policy.
"Trapping, with all due respect, does not work," Schoeman said. Once an animal is removed, another animal tends to fill the void, she said.
"If you are lucky it is another coyote...if you are unlucky it is a mountain lion."
Schoeman, who works at Animal Advocates, told Altadena Patch after the meeting she works rehabilitating coyotes who lose their parents, releasing them in the wild up in the mountains.
An important part of the rehabilitation process is teaching the coyotes to fear humans, which is an unpleasant but necessary task, Schoeman said.
Smith also had the following to say about coyotes:
- Coyotes that establish a den on a resident's property can be removed by the bureau
- Residents should strongly discourage or report anybody who is feeding coyotes
- Residents should not leave out trash or food on their property
- Pets will not be safe behind fencing unless it is very high. Six feet is not high enough.
- Adults should not fear a coyote attack as they only happen in extremely limited circumstances
- This is an unusually strong year for coyotes in the foothills, and the population levels are high. Populations tend to be cyclical so it will not remain this way forever
Given the potential of a toddler attacked by a coyote in a public park, or a pitbull, i would far rather face-off the coyote than the pitbull.......
Also the comment about there are no predators wwhere there is no prey is not really applicable as coyote are omnivores. And eliminating all of their prey would involve a lot of killing.
We need to thank those who have addressed the problem and tried to handle it the best way to protect the community.
"I had coyotes jump my 5 ft fence and chase me, beginning in April. I am a disabled little woman, and would definitely be considered prey to them. If I had been taken seriously at the time I reported this, I imagine the many, many pets- cats and dogs- that were eaten would still be alive, and those hearts broken would be whole. Also, an elderly man near the Rose Bowl was walking his dogs, and a coyote pack attacked them, ate the dogs, knocked the man down and he had to hav emajor surgery at Huntington for head trauma. I am all for animal rights. But right now, it seems human and domestic animal rights need to be considered as well. Trapping and euthanizing the rogue coyotes is necessary at this point. There are too many of them, and they have no natural predators to thin them out. Are we, the people being chased by and hurt by coyotes less important than the coyotes, who are flea infested, probably disease infested, and hungry because their population is too large?"
Note, my parents live in the heart of suburbia, surrounded by miles of tract homes. This is not a fringe wilderness area - these are the definition of urban coyotes.
@Dan. I find the coyote pack attacking the man and eating his dogs not credible. It is contrary to everything the experts have reported about coyote behavior. I would like to see more details. Was it reported in the media? When did this alleged attack occur? With all the coyote reports on the internet, why wasn't this particular attack reported? Also, standard fences are not 5 foot fence; they are usually 6 feet. @SteveB. It makes no sense that someone would allow coyotes to stay in their yard. And, by the way, fleas do not carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
I thought ticks were the only carriers of Rocky Mountain Spotted fever as well, but my mom's heathcare provider said fleas can transmit the disease as well. If it is indeed only carried by ticks, then perhaps it was spread by a tick bite and not a flea bite. We just know the backyard was hopping with fleas - we did not observe any ticks.
Rest assured, coyotes are opportunists. They will kill your dog and not even eat it or take its body away. Just plain kill it. My Min Pin Lil Sunny Lee was brutally killed by out of control urban coyotes June 30, 2011. Yes, it was I who called virtually every TV station as well as radio to share with the media to help the innocent public of these marauding coyotes. God bless you and yours and your little Odie. Sunny Murchison