The Seal Beach Police Department .is encouraging the public to be aware of the coyote threat and to take steps to prevent coyote activity.
Recent coyote activity around Orange County, including Seal Beach, give reason for reminding residents of important safeguards to protect lives and property against these wild animals.
Seeing a coyote walking down a busy street in Orange County isn’t as uncommon as most would think. Contrary to popular belief, coyotes do not require open space to survive, and have successfully adapted to living in close proximity to humans.
Coyotes are found in every state of the nation, except for Hawaii, says the U.S. Humane Society, which promotes techniques to compassionately co-exist with coyotes and protect you and your pets. Some techniques include:
* Never feeding coyotes or any other wildlife.
* Keeping pets and pet food inside. If feeding outside, feed pets during the day (no more than one hour) and remove the food and water bowls when finished.
* Staying close to your pet when taking them outdoors and always keeping them on a leash, especially from dusk through early morning hours.
* Removing fallen fruit from the ground.
* Bagging food wastes such as meat scraps or leftover pet food.
* Keeping trash in containers with tight-fitting lids.
* Using “hazing” techniques to shoo away coyotes, such as standing tall, yelling and waving arms while approaching the coyote; using a whistle, air horn, bell or other device; banging pots or pans together; stomping your feet; using a water hose, pepper spray, or throwing tennis balls or rocks at the coyote.
* Never running away from a coyote.
Long Beach Animal Care Services, which provides animal control for the City of Seal Beach, recommends calling them at (562) 570-7387(PETS) to report all Coyote sightings and determine if an Animal Control Officer is needed. LBACS tracks the movement and habits of coyotes in order to identify potential hazards and trends. It is important that residents report all coyote sightings either by phone or online at www.longbeach.gov/acs.
If the coyote is posing an imminent threat to life, call 911.
