Experts Urge Community to Coexist With Urban Coyotes

Living alongside urban coyotes makes some residents feel unsafe, but experts say there are ways to help keep the relationships peaceful.

The negative and positive attributes tied to urban coyotes were up for discussion at a workshop held by the Newport Bay Conservancy on June 7. Peter Bryant, biology professor at UC Irvine and member of the group's board of directors, said the forum was needed to help balance the ongoing debate about the potential danger urban coyotes pose on Newport Beach residents and their pets.

“[Coyote sightings] have generated a mass hysteria in our communities,” Bryant explained. “I find it disappointing. We are very much a part of [the coyotes'] world. People shouldn’t think that we can just get rid of them.”

Kent Smirl, of the California Department of Fish and Game, shared tips at the workshop to help residents live safely among urban coyotes. He suggested keeping household pets indoors or fenced off and making sure trash is kept in heavy-duty containers. Experts also explained how urban coyotes contribute to the ecosystem as a predator.

“I want the residents to see the value of having wildlife around and to understand what to do when they see a coyote,” Portia Bryant, a Newport Bay Park Ranger, said. “This is their home, too. They help keep the squirrel and rabbit population down.”

The forum also lent itself to discussions regarding the dangers of urban coyotes. David Lara, of the Rossmoor Predator Management Team, raised concerns about coyote sightings, attacks and pet killings in the Rossmoor and greater Orange County areas and urged residents to "have their city officials have constant monitoring of urban coyote activity."

The concluding presentation was delivered by Biologist Wally Ross who reminded residents that the urban coyote population numbers have always remained fairly constant and emphasized the importance of training them to stay away from certain areas such as endangered species nesting sites and residential neighborhoods.

 “[Coyotes] aren’t the bad guy,” Ross said. “They’re just out there trying to make a living just like everyone else.”