Coyotes are coming to La Jolla.

More specifically, a couple of blocks along Colima Street in Bird Rock.

There have been three recent coyote sightings reported by the Bird Rock Neighborhood Watch Program along Colima:

• On a Sunday at 6:58 a.m. at Beaumont and Colima;
• Another at 1 a.m. at Colima and Taft;
• A third at 7:15 a.m. at the corner of Colima and La Jolla Hermosa with a coyote lying in wait late enough in the day, and close enough to Bird Rock Elementary School, that the community needed to be notified.

The San Diego County Animal Services Department oversees wildlife concerns. But the department will only respond when a wild creature is posing an immediate threat to humans or other animals. It does not respond to reports of wildlife being loose or simply roaming. For more information on the San Diego County Animal Services Department, visit sandiegocounty.gov.

Coyote sightings have been an alarming development for Bird Rock families in the single-family neighborhood who are worried about the dangers wild coyotes pose to their children and small pets. One such individual, a resident of Colima behind Bird Rock Elementary who requested anonymity, expressed her concerns – and frustration – with the unanticipated situation.

“We’re being told by the City to keep all our small animals inside,” said the Bird Rock resident. “We spend a lot of money on property taxes to be able to enjoy our house and yard. Sadly, our poor dog doesn’t get to hang out in our yard anymore. It’s ridiculous that coyotes are allowed to roam. But they (animal services) are not willing to attempt to event trap it in our neighborhood right next to a school here, where there are a lot of small animals. Coyotes are in residential neighborhoods now – and nothing will be done about it.”

The anonymous neighbor pointed out coyotes are being seen “on their very busy street” in broad daylight. She noted another neighbor found the remains of a cat killed by a coyote. She added her pre-teen daughter was “very upset,” after seeing a coyote while walking their small dog. Men in the neighborhood have also seen coyotes while out walking their dogs, which left them fearful for their safety.

“The problem is we have taken their habitat and they’re starving and coming into residential neighborhoods in search of food, and neighbors and pedestrians aren’t spooking them anymore,” she said.

Angela Hernandez-Cusick, wildlife rehabilitation supervisor with San Diego Humane Society’s Project Wildlife program, discussed urban coyote management. “San Diego County has a varied ecosystem with pockets of biodiverse habitat, and coyotes are very adaptable, able to survive in all types of environments, and are spreading into human communities as we continue to build,” she said adding hazing (warning them away) is the best way of dealing with them non-violently.

Hernandez-Cusick offered this advice on how to ward off coyotes or make your property less attractive to them. “Always monitor your backyards and pick up dog food or even bird seed,” she said adding, “Keeping everything clean and being mindful that good housekeeping helps keep them away.”

If you’re walking your dog and you encounter a coyote, Hernandez-Cusick advised: “Use hazing techniques like yelling or using noisemakers or waving your arms or using projectiles like small rocks or tennis balls, to throw at them to keep them away. If possible, you can also use a hose to spray the animal and startle it.”

The SDHS spokesperson noted coyotes are opportunistic omnivores (both vegetarian and carnivorous) and are wild animals attracted to all potential food sources. “Always be mindful of where your pets are and keep your pets indoors toward dawn or dusk,” Hernandez-Cusick advised, noting there are probably hundreds of coyotes countywide.

“They are good parents, live in family-type groups in mated pairs with juveniles,” she said of coyotes, which are typically smaller and leaner than dogs with reddish-brown or light brown coloration.

For more information on how to deal with coyotes, visit https://resources.sdhumane.org/ and https://www.sdhumane.org/programs/project-wildlife/coexist.html.

COYOTE HAZING GUIDELINES

Coyotes are reclusive animals who avoid human contact. However, those who’ve adapted to urban and suburban environments have become habituated (lost their fear of humans). This is likely due to the ready availability of food. Such bold coyotes should not be tolerated or enticed. Instead, they should be told that they should not be so brazen. That is accomplished through hazing, a method utilizing deterrents to move an animal out of an area or discourage undesirable behaviors and/or activities by it.

METHODS OF HAZING

Using various hazing tools is critical, with the simplest method involving being loud and large. Hazing methods include:

• Standing tall, waving your arms and yelling at the coyote, approaching it, if necessary, until it runs away.

• Noisemakers: Voice, whistles, air horns, bells, soda cans filled with pennies, pots and pans banged together.

• Projectiles: sticks, small rocks, cans, tennis balls, rubber balls.

• Other: hoses, water guns with vinegar water, spray bottles with vinegar water, pepper spray, bear repellent, and walking sticks.

• The coyote may run away but then stop after a distance and look at you. It is important to continue to haze the coyote until it completely leaves the area. You may need to use different tactics to get it to leave.

• After you have successfully hazed a coyote, they may return. Continue to haze the coyote as you did before; it usually takes only one or two times to haze a coyote away for good.