County Animal Services offers tips to keep coyotes away from homes
By SDCN Editor
San Diego, CA–The number of coyote sightings in residential neighborhoods has increased in San Diego County.
To address the issue, the County’s Department of Animal Services has tips for homeowners to keep families and pets safe from coyotes.
Coyotes often roam out of their immediate area to search for food. Leaving a pet’s food and water out in the backyard, or unsecured trash cans could attract coyotes to the residence, said Shauni Lyles, County of San Diego Communications Office in a news release.
The Department of Animal Services recommends homeowners remove all food sources, including fallen fruit from trees from their property.
To deter coyotes from jumping over fences, county officials recommend using a “coyote roller” to place on top of backyard fences. The roller is a metal tube that spins and prevents any traction when a coyote tries to climb over a fence. It’s an easy and humane way to keep coyotes out.
When walking in neighborhoods, people may cross paths with a coyote. Don’t be afraid of the animal. Stop and yell at it. Make yourself look big and scary by waving your arms above your head while maintaining eye contact. Also, stomp your feet and make loud noises while maintaining a safe distance. The coyote will leave the area.
County Animal Services will respond when a wild animal is an immediate threat to people or other animals, and if the animal is sick or injured, too young to survive on its own, or trapped.
If a wild animal is a rabies agent (raccoons, skunks, bats, foxes, or coyotes), and has attacked a resident or their pet, the County will respond to the area.
Reports of wildlife loose and roaming the area are not a priority call for County Animal Services. They cannot help individuals with wildlife nuisance problems like skunks under porches or opossums raiding pet food.
According to the Department of Animal Services, Coyotes are a “rabies vector species,” which means rabies, a preventable viral disease, can spread through the bite of a rabid coyote to people or other animals. This is why it’s very important to take proper precautions and avoid coyotes when you see them in your community.
If you enjoy the County’s preserves or parks when you take your dog for a walk, make sure to always keep them on a leash and don’t let them stray too far away from you. If you have a cat, make sure to keep it indoors. If you see a coyote and you have a small dog with you, pick it up immediately. Keeping it on the ground will cause a coyote to charge.
According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, coyotes play an important role in the ecosystem and help keep rodent populations under control. So, we need to learn how to live with them.
For more information about wildlife, visit the DAS’s website at www.sddac.com or call (619) 767-2675.
