Signal Tribune Newspaper

Kent Smirl of the California Department of Fish and Game

BY NICK DIAMANTIDES
Staff Writer

The population of coyotes in the greater Long Beach area has increased significantly in the past few years. More and more residents are seeing the animals roaming the streets and sidewalks. People are alarmed because some of the coyotes do not seem afraid of humans.
In the first five-and-a-half months of 2009, there have been 141 coyote incidents in Long Beach, with the greatest number in the 90807 ZIP code area. In that same period, Signal Hill had three coyote incidents, which the Long Beach Animal Care Services Bureau defines as “sightings,” imminent threats or attacks. In the history of Long Beach, there has never been a recorded incident of a coyote attacking a human being.
On the evening of June 10, state and city officials met with local residents in the Hughes Middle School auditorium to discuss ways of making neighborhoods less attractive to the wild canines. About 80 people attended the meeting.
California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) Patrol Lieutenant Kent Smirl and Joseph Torres, a manager in the DFG’s Orange County senior volunteer program, explained why the habits of urban coyotes differ from coyotes that live in rural or wilderness areas.
Torres noted that in most parts of California, coyotes usually avoid contact with humans. That behavior, he explained, is probably due to the fact that the wild canines have been hunted, trapped and poisoned by humans for hundreds of years. He added, however, that in urban and suburban areas, some coyotes have adapted to environments containing residential neighborhoods, parks and open spaces, and have lost their fear of humans.
Once that fear is gone, the coyotes feel free to enter yards in search of pet food and they will sometimes kill and eat cats and other small pets.
“One of the things people ask us often is why we don’t relocate wild animals that are a nuisance,” he said. “The reason is that when you relocate an animal, the dominant male of that species in that area will kill the relocated animal.”
Torres said the best way to rid a neighborhood of coyotes is to form a group similar to a neighborhood watch group, but with the mission of educating everyone in the area about things that attract coyotes. Those things include leaving food, water and small pets outdoors.
Smirl noted that many people ask DFG why coyotes have suddenly begun appearing in their neighborhoods. “Most of the coyotes in the southern basin, which includes Long Beach, utilize flood-control channels as access.” he explained. “They come down from the foothill communities.” He added that as coyotes travel the channels they are attracted to cats and pet food left outdoors in the surrounding neighborhoods.
Smirl said that because of the increase in coyote incidents, several years ago his superior officers assigned him the task of setting up the senior volunteer program and wildlife watch groups that educate residents on how to deal with urban wildlife, including coyotes.
Elaborating on what Torres said, Smirl explained that if a coyote is deemed an imminent threat, or if it has had any physical contact with humans, DFG will hire a trapper to catch the animal, which will then be euthanized by a DFG officer.
He stressed, however, that trapping and euthanizing coyotes will not solve the problem. “When there is food and other attractants in a neighborhood, the coyotes we take out will just be replaced by other coyotes,” he explained. “But once a neighborhood is no longer a good food source, the coyotes will go elsewhere.” He added that decreasing food sources also leads to smaller coyote litters, which results in fewer urban coyotes.
Smirl urged residents to begin wildlife watch groups in their neighborhoods. He said DFG staff and volunteers are available to help initiate such groups.
After Smirl’s presentation, several residents disputed some of the things he said. They insisted that removing attractants is not enough, and that DFG should be willing to remove more coyotes.
Smirl stuck to his guns. He said that, over the years, removing attractants has proven to be the most effective way of ridding a neighborhood of coyotes.
Eighth District Long Beach Councilwoman Rae Gabelich was also at the meeting. “One of the things that we can do is we can use our neighborhood watch network to do something about this,” she said.
Toward the end of the meeting, John Keisler, manager of the Animal Care Services Bureau, described how the bureau tries to keep records on all coyote sightings and other coyote incidents in its jurisdiction. He said that his staff responds immediately to calls reporting imminent threats by any animals, including coyotes. “It’s clear to our staff that is a high priority,” he stressed.
Animal Care Services: (562) 570-7387. Information on starting a wildlife watch group: (714) 448-4215 or ksmirl@dfg.ca.gov