The Santa Monica Mountains that ring Los Angeles continue to be a "safehouse" for Cougars, Coyotes and Black Bears............Every City in America should look to imitate the extensive, contiguous greenspace that Los Angeles has purposefully saved into perpetuity........Californians, while nervous and even sometimes hostile to" wildlife in their midst" have nonetheless over the past 40 years voted to protect their keystone Cougars and Coyotes and to make it unlawful to randomly shoot, poison or trap them simply because they appear in and around our towns............Wildlife officals continually remind folks of the steps they need to take to co-exist with our Carnivores.........California is screwed up in many ways.........This is not one of them.........Kudos to the forward thinking of the residents who reside there!

Mountain lions have residents on edge in Burbank, Glendale hills

With multiple confirmed sightings of mountain lions and coyotes in the region this summer, experts say small children and pets should not be left outdoors unattended.

Several recent mountain lion sightings in the Burbank area are raising safety concerns among some hillside residents who say the animals pose a threat to pets and small children.

Burbank police have logged at least four mountain lion sightings this summer, including two this month. Another resident reported seeing a lion about 9 p.m. Monday in Glendale, but animal control officials didn't investigate because the call was a day late, said Ricky Whitman, a spokeswoman for the Pasadena Humane Society.
"It's not uncommon to see them in the foothills and we know that they are there," she said.

Still, Whitman said residents often mistake coyotes and bobcats for mountain lions because they are similar in shape and size.

Burbank residents reported seeing what they thought was a mountain lion feeding on a dead deer early Sunday in the foothill neighborhood of Viewcrest Drive and Reynolds Drive, but Burbank Police Lt. John Dilibert said wildlife experts confirmed that a coyote had killed the deer.

The experts cited bite marks on the deer and animal tracks at the scene.

Coyotes were also spotted about a month ago in the Glendale foothills, prompting animal control and police officials to issue public warnings, said Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz.

Sun Valley resident Carlo Spiga reported seeing a mountain lion climbing over a chain-link fence in his backyard last week. He was alerted to the cat by his dog's barking.

In the past, Spiga said, he has photographed mountain lion tracks in his yard and discovered a resting spot. But his most recent encounter was different, he said. Spiga flashed a light at the lion, but it didn't run away.

"He just kind of froze and I just kind of froze," Spiga said.

The lion instead moved slowly over the fence as if it was unbothered by the light and Spiga's presence, he said. Although the lion eventually took off, Spiga said the encounter was unsettling.

"I have a 4-year-old daughter and 10-year-old girl," he said. "I am just seriously scared."

The lion was probably hunting Spiga's dog, said Andrew Hughan, a spokesman for the California Department of Fish and Game.

"If the mountain lion was hungry, they don't look at people for food," he said.
In 2009, officials determined that a mountain lion killed an 85-pound German shepherd/Akita mix while it slept on a backyard patio in Glendale. The dog was found with a deep gash extending from the base of its head to its tail.

Officials said there isn't much to be done about the wildlife population besides taking precautions for pets and small children. Mountain lions often avoid people and prefer to eat deer, pets and livestock, officials said. "Usually, they don't really like people very much," Whitman said.
Still, officials warned that pets and children shouldn't be left unattended, especially amid multiple sightings.

"It's better to be safe than sorry," Hughan said.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Coyotes Suffer The Gun: More SoCal Wildlife Killings

Laguna Woods is not the only SoCal zone killing coyotes.Altadena County has also "removed and killed" seven coyotes this summer, reports Altadena Patch, due to an increasing number of reported pet attacks and coyote sightings.The county traps and kills coyotes only when they appear to be a nuisance, said Raymond Smith of the county's Weed Hazard and Pest Management Bureau during Tuesday's City Council meeting.

He also noted that humans must prepare to coexist with the animals."Nothing that I can do, or the Sheriff’s Department, or anyone else, is going to get rid of them," Smith said.

Altadena officials will continue to trap and kill the animals until the department determines that they are no longer a problem for residents. MaryEllen Schoeman, a wildlife rehabilitator with Animal Advocates, spoke in opposition of the policy."Trapping, with all due respect, does not work," Schoeman said. Once an animal is removed, another animal tends to fill the void, she said.She schooled meeting attendees on coyote habits and suggested tips for deterring the wild animals from residential areas.

*Coyotes that establish a den on a resident's property can be removed by the bureau.


*Residents should strongly discourage or report anybody who is feeding coyotes.


*Residents should not leave out trash or food on their property.


*Pets will not be safe behind fencing unless it is very high. Six feet is not high enough.


*Adults should not fear a coyote attack as they only happen in extremely limited circumstances.


*This is an unusually strong year for coyotes in the foothills, and the population levels are high. Populations tend to be cyclical, so it will not remain this way forever



Coyotes are not the only wildlife foraging for food in inhabited areas this year. A recent bear sighting in Glendale has alarmed officials and residents; however, the beasts have yet to be identified as a threat. We hope the brown creatures stick to munching on garbage to avoid the spray of bullets.