Posted by Habitat Authority on Nov 27, 2013 in News | 0 comments
A common visitor to people living near natural areas (but also to urban areas away from natural areas) is the coyote. When residents living in communities surrounding natural areas (such as the Puente Hills) get coyotes in their neighborhoods, their first thought typically is that the coyotes are “coming down from the hills”. Although many coyotes do enter residential areas from natural areas looking for food, the vast majority of coyotes found in residential areas are year-round residents, including very urban neighborhoods with essentially no natural areas.
Understandably, people are curious and sometimes frustrated with these wild neighbors. Coyotes play an important role in the ecosystem, helping to keep populations of rodents and other small mammals under control. Coyotes are by nature fearful of humans, however they readily lose their fear of humans when people intentionally or unintentionally provide food/water or shelter for them, or otherwise do not try to deter them from visiting. Eliminating sources that attract coyotes can go a long way in addressing the situation. Eliminating coyotes by lethal means only perpetuates the population as they will reproduce to “make-up” for the lost individual, oftentimes resulting in more coyotes than before.
Proactive things to do around your home to discourage visits by coyotes:
For more information visit Living With Wildlife
or CA Department of Fish and Wildlife http://www.dfg.ca.gov/keepmewild/