Coyote hazing has been used by park rangers for decades, said Lynsey White Dasher, urban wildlife specialist for the Humane Society of the United States..............And our good friend Randy Feilich of PROJECT COYOTE is tireless in getting this message out to communities all over Southern California......As Randy saids: "hazing might seem a little nutty, but it is a technique that aims to reinstate fear in brazen coyotes and deter them from returning to neighborhoods".... "It's a better alternative than trapping and killing the animals"

Wildlife advocates seek to educate homeowners on 'coyote hazing' techniques

By Mariecar Mendoza;dailynews.com

Randi Feilich bangs her pots and pans, pops open an umbrella, throws rocks and screams into the wild. The behavior might seem a little nutty, she admits, but she's just demonstrating how people can protect themselves and wildlife at the same time.

Feilich, a representative of the nonprofit Project Coyote, is on a mission with other local organizations to educate homeowners on "coyote hazing," a technique that aims to reinstate fear in brazen coyotes and deter them from returning to neighborhoods. It's a better alternative, she and other activists say, than trapping and killing the animals.

 

"People need to be proactive," said Feilich, who lives in Calabasas. "Sure it may look a little crazy, but at that point

A coyote spotted in Griffith Park by Greg Randall, wildlife specialist with the city's department of animal services. (Photo by Greg Randall)

 

when you see a coyote, I don't think you're so much concerned with that as you are with trying to get rid of the coyote."

 

Coyote hazing has been used by park rangers for decades, said Lynsey White Dasher, urban wildlife specialist for the Humane Society of the United States. Now the push is to empower residents.

To that end, Dasher plans to host coyote hazing workshops next week in Long Beach and Huntington Beach. "A lot of people think that the only options are to do nothing or kill them," Dasher said. "But residents have more control of the situation than they know."

Local advocacy for coyote hazing has become more prevalent as residents and animal rights activists begin pressuring city governments throughout Los Angeles County whose leaders allow coyote trapping, a practice recently reinstated by Carson.

Los Angeles city ended trapping in 1994 while Calabasas stopped trapping coyotes in 2011 after a strong campaign led by Feilich. That effort also resulted in one of the state's most comprehensive coyote management plans adopted by the Calabasas City Council in November, said Alex Farassati, city environmental services manager for Calabasas. The city worked in collaboration with Project Coyote to draft the plan. "We believe in innovation that fosters coexistence," Feilich said. "And hazing is just one option."

Adrienne McKay of Lake Balboa hopes she and her neighbors can find a way to live safely with coyotes, which she believes gain access to her cul-de-sac through a nearby wash. "This is the first summer I've heard about a coyote on our street while people were out, and it's scary," McKay said.

As an avid morning jogger and dog walker, McKay a few weeks ago came across a mauled cat that she believes was attacked by coyotes. It was the first one she had seen, but she's heard about at least half a dozen other cats found mauled by coyotes in the area this year. "Something has to be done, and I know part of it has to be done by us," McKay said. "I've even thought about putting fliers up to remind residents to stop feeding these guys."

Attacks on humans are far more rare, said Ken Pellman, spokesman for the Los Angeles County Agricultural Commissioner, with possibly one attack reported in the county a year. "When it happens it's an indication that coyote has been conditioned to associate humans with food," Pellman said. "And we never ever want coyotes to associate humans with food." Farassati said that feeding coyotes - whether intentionally or by leaving food, such as pet feed, outside - can spur the problem.

"During certain times of the year they can't find food in the wild so they come into the city," he said. "They aren't necessarily out to harass people, they're looking for food."

 

Dasher cautions residents, however, that coyote hazing must be a continuous effort.

"It's important to use a variety of techniques and a variety of people. If it's just animal control officers who are wearing certain uniforms doing the hazing coyotes will learn to avoid those people and not your average citizen," Dasher said. "Also, if everyone is using the same hazing technique then coyotes will probably learn that too. So it has to be a varied communitywide effort."

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