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Coyotes on the prowl for cats and dogs
Pets becoming more vulnerable
By Stephanie Bertholdo
Everybody, it seems, has a coyote story, and they’re never funny. Bentley, a 14-month-old pug that belongs to Calabasas resident Red Godfrey, was lucky. Godfrey said that since her dog had stomach problems, she left his doggy door open, so Bentley could roam back and forth from their home to the backyard. At midnight, Bentley went outside. But the short bathroom break turned into a near-death experience for the small dog. The dog’s piercing cry woke Godfrey, who rushed into the backyard to find Bentley lying on the grass with puncture wounds in his neck. Bentley was in shock, but he was alive. Out of the corner of her eye, Godfrey saw a large coyote running away. Bentley was rushed to an allnight veterinary emergency room in Woodland Hills and treated for shock, multiple bites and puncture wounds. The pup survived the coyote attack, but Godfrey’s veterinarian, Dr Marla Peck at Calabasas Veterinary Center, said that five dogs had been killed by coyotes during the same week that Bentley was attacked. “The smallest member of our family is still alive and will be in pain for days and weeks, but he is alive,” said Godfrey. “We are still shell-shocked at the thought that the garden we sit, play and eat in is a hunting ground.” She added that her property is completely fenced. Coyotes have no difficulty jumping fences or digging under them, experts say. Diane Phillips of Oak Park should know. She, too, has a pug and coyote story. While Phillips was taking care of her mother-in-law’s pug, P.J., a coyote dug under her backyard fence, attacked the small dog and bit their family dog, Angel, who attempted to protect the puppy. P.J. wasn’t as lucky as Bentley. She died soon after reaching the veterinarian’s office. Angel survived. Are coyotes becoming emboldened to tread into suburban backyards? Have they lost their fear of humans? Are people at risk? Steve Martarano, a spokesman for California Department of Fish and Game, answered yes to all three questions. “People need to protect their small pets,” Martarano said. “We’ve seen more problems in the last few years than in the past.” He said people are at risk, too. Several years ago, some schoolchildren in Los Angeles and San Diego were attacked by coyotes. Asking for trouble Although attacks on people are rare, coyotes are often attracted to dog food and animals that are small enough to appear as prey. Garbage, pet food and even feeding stations for birds and squirrels will attract suburban coyotes into backyards. Eliminating these sources of food can PROWLER—A coyote is on the lookout for pray in Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park. force them to move elsewhere and protect animals and people, Martarano said. “The main problem is that people will feed coyotes,” Martarano said. When coyotes become comfortable around people, they become more aggressive. He noted that there have been cases of people feeding coyotes on their porch. When the coyotes return for more food and find none, they’ll bite a child. Patti Goldberg, a Calabasas resident, said, “I, too, learned last month how brazen these coyotes have become.” She said that while she was standing near her car, a coyote stared at her from the neighbor’s front yard. After throwing her arms and purse in the air to scare the animal, the coyote slowly walked over to the 7-foot wall and, without even a running start, jumped over the large wall into the neighbor’s backyard. “I was shocked, because it didn’t seem too worried about me, and the jump over the wall seemed almost effortless,” Goldberg said. Attacks on the rise According to a report by Robert M. Timm of the Hopland Research and Extension Center, a division of the University of California, coyote attacks on humans and pets in California have increased over the past five years. Timm’s report, which relied on data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services, the California Department of Fish and Game, and other sources, stated that 48 verifiable attacks on children and adults occurred between 1998 and 2003. In comparison, only 41 attacks occurred between 1988 and 1997. “Most incidents occurred in Southern California near the suburban-wildland interface,” Timm said. Since many Conejo Valley residential neighborhoods are flanked by hills, streams and other natural coyote habitat, Martarano agreed that aggressive coyote behavior could be on the rise. The report noted that the “safe environment provided by a wildlife-loving general public, who rarely display aggression toward coyotes” appears to give wild animals confidence. The reduction of predator management programs generally offered through state agencies may also contribute to the increase. “I am often in fear of coyotes in my backyard,” said Margie Mueller of Calabasas. “I know they have hopped our fence at least once, and just the other night a large coyote was brazen enough to hop into my nextdoor-neighbor’s yard while she was sitting out on her patio— lights on and all.” While Bentley recuperates from the coyote attack, Godfrey is spreading safety tips on how to safeguard pets against coyote attacks. “Not all attacks came at night,” Godfrey warns. “The coyotes are now venturing into gardens at twilight, (and) are becoming more brazen and confident,” she said. Coyote safety tips
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Coyote safety tips
The California Department of Fish and Game’s “Keep Me Wild” campaign suggests the following “coyote country” precautions: •Never feed or attempt to tame coyotes. The result may be deadly conflicts with pets or livestock, or serious injuries to small children. •Do not leave small children or pets outside unattended. •Install motion-sensitive lighting around the house. •Trim ground-level shrubbery to reduce hiding places. •Be aware that coyotes are more active in the spring, when feeding and protecting their young. •If followed by a coyote, make loud noises. If this fails, throw rocks in the animal’s direction. •If a coyote attacks a person, immediately contact the nearest Department of Fish and Game or law-enforcement office. |
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