Long Beach Coyote Management Plan

8/10/2019 Long Beach Coyote Management Plan

1/23

DRAFT

CoyoteManagementPlan

CityofLongBeach

BureauofAnimalCareServices

7700EastSpringstreet

LongBeach,CA90815

(562)5707387


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TableofContents

ExecutiveSummary 23


Background 4

DifficultiesManagingWildlife 45

Whatroledocoyotesplayintheenvironment? 5

Howdohumansperceivecoyotes? 5

HavecoyotenumbersincreasedinLongBeach? 56

Monitoring

and

collecting

data

6

PublicEducationandOutreach 67

Coyoteattractantsinurbanareas 79

Hazingandbehavioralchange 9

Goalsofhazing 10

Hazingprocess 10

Overviewofhazing 1011

Enforcement 11

ResponsePlan 12

ThreatLevelTieredResponse 12

Appendices

AppendixA DefinitionsonEncounterswithCoyotes 1314

AppendixB Coyotebehavior,behaviorclassification

andrecommendedresponse 15

AppendixC HazingProgramandTrainingPlan 1621

HazingandBehavioralChange 16

FoundationofHazing 16

GoalsofHazing 1617

GeneralConsiderations 1718

TrainingProgram 1819

PublicHazing

Training

19

20

Creatingavolunteerhazingteam 20

SummaryofHazing 2021

AppendixDCoyoteyardauditchecklist 22


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ExecutiveSummary

TheintentofthisplanistoprovideguidanceforcitystaffindealingwithcoyotesinLongBeach.

Guidelinesandprovisionsofthisplandonotsupersedefederal,stateandcountyregulationsand

policies.Furthermore,

the

provisions

of

this

plan

do

not

apply

to

Long

Beach

residents,

businesses

orhomeownerassociationsinpursuitoftheirlegalrightsindealingwithcoyotes.

ManagementStrategy

Citystrategyformanagingcoyotesisbasedonbalancingrespectandprotectionforwildlifeand

theirhabitatswithoutcompromisingpublicsafety. Themainstrategy iscomprisedofathree

pronged approach consistingofpubliceducationdesigned around coexistencewith coyotes,

enforcementoflawsandregulationsprohibitingthefeedingofwildlifeandensuringpublicsafety

by implementing appropriate tiered responses to coyote and human interactions. This plan

requires active participation on the part of the entire community including residents,

homeownersassociations,volunteersandcitypersonnel.

Education

Education is thekey tohaving residentsmakeappropriatedecisions regarding theirsafety,or

managing theirproperty andpets.This involvesdecreasing attractants, increasingpet safety,

reshapingcoyotebehaviorthroughhazingandcreatingreasonableexpectationsofnormalcoyote

behavior.

Enforcement

Theactoffeedingwildlifeisknowntoleadtoanincreaseinwildlifeactivity. Feedingcan

attractcoyotesandtheirpreytoanarealeadingtoanincreasedlikelihoodofcreatinga

habituatedcoyote(s)resultinginincreasesincoyoteandhumaninteractions. California

lawprohibitsfeedingwildlife. LongBeachAnimalControlOfficerswillstrictlyenforcethe

Statelaw(s)

pertaining

to

this

activity.

ResponsePlan

Adetailedtieredresponseplanhasbeendevelopedtoprovideamechanismfor

identifyingandclassifyingdifferentlevelsofhumanandcoyoteinteractions. Definitions

ofcoyoteencountersislistedinAppendixAandAppendix B provides a chart detailing

coyote behavior, behavior classification and recommended responses.

LevelRed: Acoyote thathasbeen involved inan investigatedanddocumentedprovokedor

unprovokedattackonahuman. CitystaffwillnotifyCaliforniaDepartmentofFishandWildlife

(DFW). CitystaffwillworkwithDFWtolocateandeliminatetheresponsiblecoyote(s).

LevelOrange:

A

coyote

is

involved

in

an

incident(s)

where

there

is

an

attended

domestic

animal

loss. Coyoteenteringadwellingoryardwherepeoplearepresent,oractingaggressivelytowards

people.Severallevel2typeincidents inthesamegeneralareamayindicatethepresenceofa

habituatedcoyote(s). Educationandaggressivehazingneeded,volunteerhazingteamcreated,

publicawarenessof incident(s)andcircumstancesdiscussed. Ifmultiple level2 incidentshave

occurredinthesamevicinitywithinashortamountoftime,lethalremovalmayberecommended.


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LevelYellow: A coyote appears to frequently associatewithhumansorhuman related food

sources,andexhibitslittlewarinessofhumanpresence, includingunattendeddomesticanimal

loss.Coyoteisseenduringthedayrestingorcontinuouslymovingthroughanareafrequentedby

people.Educationandaggressivehazingneeded,volunteerhazingteamcreated.

LevelGreen:Acoyoteisseenorheardinanarea.Sightingmaybeduringthedayornight.Coyote

maybeseenmovingthroughtheareaorseenrestinginoneplace. Educationandhazingneeded.

Theattachedcomprehensiveplanprovidestheguidelinesforimplementation.


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Background

The

City

of

Long

Beach

does

not

own

or

have

any

control

of

wild

animals

found

within

itsboundaries,noristhecityresponsiblefortheactionsordamagecausedbythem.

Theseanimalsareacommonandimportantintegralpartofourecosystem,biosphere

andthecircleoflife.TheBureauofAnimalCareServices,(formerlyAnimalControl

Services),wasoriginallycreatedtodealwithproblemsarisingfromstraydogsandto

enforcelawspertainingtothem.Wildlifetoasmalldegreehasbeenincludedinthe

scopeoftheservicesthatthebureauprovidesasneedhasarisenduetoproximityto

naturalhabitatwhichhasresultedinwildanimalsbeinginvolvedindistresssituationsin

whichtheyrequirerescue.

LongBeachAnimalControlOfficersdonotrespondtocallsforservicefornormalcoyote

behavior,such

as

sightings.

These

calls

will

be

recorded

and

documented.

However,

theywillrespondtocallswhichinvolveasickorinjuredcoyote(s)orifthereisapublic

safetyissue,suchasacoyote(s)threateningpeopleorrestinginanareafrequentedby

people,suchasayard,park,playground,school,etc.

DifficultiesManagingWildlife

AlthoughLongBeachplacesahighvalueonitswildlife,somespeciesadaptedtourban

environmentshavethepotentialforproblemsand/orconflictsinspecificsituations. In

addressing problems, the city promotes policies supporting prevention and

implementationofremedialmeasuresthatdonotharmthewildlifeortheirhabitats.

Awildlifeproblem isdefinedasanysituationthatcausesahealthorsafetyissuetoits

residents. Incaseswhereproblemswithwildlifeareassociatedwithhumanbehavior

(leavinggarbageexposedor intentionalwildlife feeding),ordinancesandenforcement

maybeenactedtominimizeconflict.

Insomecases,particularortraditionalmanagementtoolsareineffective.Forexample,

relocationofanimals isnotecologicallysoundand isnotallowed inCaliforniawithout

permission from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW). Generally,

relocatedanimalsdonotsurvivethetransfer.Iftheydo,theyrarelystayintherelocation

areaandtendtodispersetootherlocationswheretheymaycauseproblems,beinvolved

in territory disputes or introduce disease. In some instances, the dispersedwildlife,

especiallycoyotes,willgotogreatlengthstoreturntoitspreviousterritoryoradversely

affectresidents.Forthesereasons,theDFWrarelyallowsrelocationofwildlife.

Asa last resort, lethal controlmeasures,whenemployed,are controversialandnon

selective.Iftheyareused,theymustbehumaneandincompliancewithfederalandstate

laws.


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Itisnoteconomically,ecologicallyorinotherwaysefficienttoattempttoremoveall

coyotesfromtheurbanecosystem. AttemptsmadebytheLocal,StateandFederal

Agenciesaswellasprivateorganizationsoverthepastcenturytoeradicatecoyoteshas

provento

be

ineffective.

Moreover,

during

the

past

century

coyotes

have

expanded

theirterritoriestoincludeeveryStateexceptHawaii.

Whatroledocoyotesplayintheenvironment?

Coyotesplayanimportantroleintheurbanecosystem.Theyarepredatorsofgeese,eggs,

squirrels, mice, rabbits, rats, gophers and other small animals. Rodents make up a

majorityoftheirdiet.

Howdohumansperceivecoyotes?

Peoplerespondtocoyotesinvariousways.Someobservethemwithenjoyment,others

withindifference

and

some

with

fear

or

concern.

Personal

experiences

with

coyotes

may

influencetheirperceptions.Experiencesrangefromanimalsightingswithoutincidentto

stalking,killingofpetsor,attheextreme,anattackonaperson.

Becausewild animals conjure up fear, actual sightings and perceptions may become

exaggeratedormisconstrued (seeAppendixAforcoyotedescriptionencounters).The

widerangeinperceptionsofurbancoyotesfromLongBeachresidentssupportstheneed

forstrongandconsistenteducationalmessagestoclarifymanagementtechniques.

HavecoyotenumbersincreasedinLongBeach?

Withouttrackingandupdatedinventories,itisdifficulttoknowifthenumberofcoyotes

hasincreasedinanarea. Whatisknownisthatcoyotescanbecomehabituatedifthey

areintentionallyorunintentionallyfed,whichcanleadtobolderbehaviorwhencoyotes

losetheirfearofpeople.

Coyotes likeallpredators will stabilize theirpopulations if theyarenot constantly

exploited. In general, Coyotes regularly roam an area of about 25 square miles or

whatever ittakestogetenoughfoodforthepackmembers. Normally,eachpack isa

territorialfamilygroupthatvariesinnumberfrom3to10individuals. Aportionofthe

areathepackinhabitsisthepacksterritory,whichtheydefendfromothercoyotes. The

numberofmaturecoyotesinthepackislinkedtotheamountoffoodresourcesinthe

territory.The

pack

system

keeps

coyotes

from

getting

too

numerous

because

the

packs

defendtheareatheyneedtosurvive.

Acoyotepackusuallyhasonebreeding (oralpha) female.Thisfemaleproducesmore

pupsthanareultimatelywantedinthepack. Youngcoyotesmayleavethepackatabout

911monthsofagebutdispersalpatternsarehighlyvariable. Thesecoyotesbecome


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transients. Othertypesoftransientsincludeolderindividualsthatcannolongerdefend

theirroleasupperlevelpackmembersandleavethepack.

Transientsmovealloverinnarrowundefendedzonesthatexistbetweenpackterritories

searching foranopenhabitattooccupyorgroup tojoin. Theyoftendiebeforetheysucceed (manyarehitby cars). It is largelybecauseof these transients, that coyote

eradicationprogramsareunsuccessful.

Removingagroupofterritorialcoyoteswillcreateanundefendedarea intowhichthe

transient coyotes will flow. At all times of the year, numbers of transients are

immediately available to replenish any voids created by killing the resident

coyotes. Further,ifeitherthealphamaleoralphafemaleinapackiskilled,theresulting

effectmayresultinovulationinotherbreedingagefemalesinthepackandanincrease

inthenumberoflittersaswellasthenumberofpupsperlitter.

Monitoringandcollectingdata

Monitoringanddatacollectionarecriticalcomponentsofaneffectivecoyote

managementplan.Thisisbestaccomplishedwithinputfrombothresidentsandcity

officials. LongBeachAnimalCareServicesrecordsandtrackscoyotesightingsor

incidents(SeeAppendixAfordefinitions). Coyotesightings/incidentscanbemade

usingtheavailableonlinereportingformat

http://www.longbeach.gov/acs/wildlife/report/default.asp#

orbycalling(562)5707387.

The

purpose

of

monitoring

human

coyote

interactions

is

to

document

where

coyotes

arefrequentlyseenandtoidentifyhumancoyoteconflicthotspots.Gatheringspecific

dataonincidentswillallowfortargetingofeducationalcampaignsandconflict

mitigationefforts,aswellastheabilitytomeasuresuccessinreducingconflictsover

time.

PublicEducationandOutreach

Education is the key to having residents make appropriate decisions regarding their

safety, or managing their property and pets. This involves decreasing attractants,

increasingpetsafetyandcreatingreasonableexpectationsofnormalcoyotebehavior.

Learninghow

to

respond

to

acoyote

encounter

empowers

residents

and

supports

reshapingundesiredcoyotebehavior. Thepublicshouldunderstandwhatnormalcoyote

behavior is when living in close proximity with coyotes. For example, vocalization is

normalacceptablebehavioranddoesnotindicateaggression. Educationandoutreach

include:


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a) Understandinghumansafety,petsafety,coyoteattractants,deterrentstocoyotes

onprivateproperty,includingappropriatefencing,exclusiontechniques,whatto

dotips,andinformationonappropriatehazingtechniques.

b) Developing a common language and awareness of normal versus abnormal

behaviorwhendiscussingencounterswithcoyotes(seedefinitionsinAppendixA)c) Disseminationof information to residents,businessesand schools through the

cityswebsite,LBTV,media,fliers/handouts,mailers,etc.

d) Cooperatingwithnonprofitorganizations likeProjectCoyoteandagencies like

the California Department of Fish and Wildlife that provide public education

materials,programs,andexpertise.

Coyoteattractantsinurbanareas.

Coyotesaredrawntourbanandsuburbanareasforthefollowingreasons:

1. Food.Urbanareasprovideabountyofnaturalfoodchoicesforcoyotes,who

primarilyeat

rodents

such

as

mice

and

rats.

However,

coyotes

can

be

further

attractedintosuburbanneighborhoodsbyhumanassociatedfoodsuchaspet

food,unsecuredcompostortrash,andfallenfruitinyards.Intentionaland

unintentionalfeedingcanleadcoyotestoassociatehumanswithsourcesof

food,whichcanresultinnegativeinteractionsamongcoyotes,peopleandpets.

Toreducefoodattractantsinurbanandsuburbanareas:

a. Neverhandfeedorotherwisedeliberatelyfeedacoyote.

b. Avoidfeedingpetsoutside.Removesourcesofpetfoodandwater.If

feedingpetsoutsideisnecessary,removethebowlandanyleftoverfood

promptly.

c. Nevercompostanymeatordairy(unlessthecompostisfullysecured).

d. Maintaingoodhousekeeping,suchasregularlyrakingareasaroundbird

feeders,tohelpdiscouragecoyoteactivitynearresidences.

e. Removefallenfruitfromtheground.

f. Keeptrashinhighqualitycontainerswithtightfittinglids.Onlyplacethe

canscurbsidethemorningofcollection.Ifyouleaveoutovernight,trash

cansaremorelikelytobetippedoverandbrokeninto.

g. Bagespeciallyattractivefoodwastessuchasmeatscrapsorleftoverpet

food.If

it

is

several

days

before

garbage

will

be

picked

up,

freeze

temporarilyortaketoadumpsterorothersecurestoragecontainer.

2. Water.Urbanareasprovideayearroundsupplyofwaterintheformofstorm

waterimpoundmentsandchannels,artificiallakes,irrigation,petwaterdishes,

etc.,whichsupportbothcoyotesandtheirprey.

a. Indryconditions,watercanbeasalluringasfood,soremovewater

bowlssetoutsideforpetsandmakewateringcansunavailable.


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3. Accesstoshelter.Parks,greenbelts,openspaces,golfcourses,buildings,sheds,

decksandcrawlspaces,etc.,increasetheamountandvariabilityofcoverfor

coyotes.Theyallowcoyotestosafelyandeasilyremainclosetopeople,pets,

homesandbusinesseswithoutdetection.

a. Inthespring,whencoyotesgivebirthandbegintoraiseyoung,they

concentratetheiractivitiesarounddensorburrowsinwhichtheiryoung

aresheltered.Coyotesmaytakeadvantageofavailablespacesunder

shedsordecksforuseasaden,bringingthemintoclosecontactwith

peopleandpets.

4. UnattendedPets.Petsareanormalpartofanurbanlandscape.Withintheir

territory,coyotesmayconsiderpetsaspotentialpreyorpotentialcompetitors.

a. Freeroamingpets,especiallycatsandsometimessmalldogs,mayattract

coyotesintoneighborhoods.Thebestwaytominimizerisktopetsisto

notleave

them

outside

unattended.

b. Cats.Coyotesprimarilyeatsmallmammalssuchasmiceandrats,butwill

alsopreyonslightlylargermammalssuchasrabbitsandgroundhogs.

Approximatelythesamesizeasagroundhogorrabbit,freeroaming

outdoorcatsmayalsobeseenaseligiblepreyitemsbycoyotes.Itis

importanttonotethatattacksoncatsarenormalcoyotebehavioranddo

notindicateadangerforpeople.Theonlywaytoprotectcatsfrom

coyotes(andtheotherdangersofoutdoorlifesuchascars,disease,dogs

andotherwildlife)istokeepcatsindoors(oronlyletthemoutsideina

secureenclosureorwhenaccompaniedbyapersonandunderthe

controlof

aleash

and

harness).

c. Feralcats.Peoplewhofeedferalcatsareoftenconcernedthatcoyotes

mightpreyonthecats.Theseconcernsarewellfounded,ascoyotescan

beattractedtotheoutdoorpetfood. Althoughthereisnosurewayto

protectferalcatsfromcoyotes,thefollowingtipscanbehelpful:

i. Feedcatsonlyduringthedayandatasettimeandpickupany

leftoversimmediately.

ii. Provideescaperoutesforcats.

iii. Hazecoyotesseenontheproperty(seeAppendixC).Making

themfeeluncomfortablewillencouragethemtostayoutofthearea.

d. Dogsarealsovulnerabletocoyoteconfrontations.Theseincidents

generallyinvolvecoyoteswhoareaccustomedorhabituatedtopeople

(usuallyduetowildlifefeeding),orcoyoteswhoareprotectingtheir

territoryandpups(usuallyduringbreedingseason).


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GoalsofHazing

Thegoalsofhazingareto:

Reshapecoyotebehaviortoavoidhumancontactinanurbansetting.

Giveresidents

tools

to

actively

engage

in

reshaping

coyote

behavior

and

to

supportfeelingsafeintheirparksandneighborhoods.

Modelhazingbehaviorandshareaccurateinformationaboutcoyoteswithother

residents,friendsandfamily.

HazingProcess

Humanbehavior can shape animalbehavior, ineither anegativeorpositivemanner.

People living in close proximity to coyotes can remove coyote attractants, identify

potentiallydangeroussituationsfortheirpetsandthemselves,andrespondinamanner

designedtochangecoyotebehavior.

Behavioralchangeandhazingincludesthefollowing:

a) Petownersneedtoprotectpets.Offleashandunattendeddogsandunattended

outsidecatsattractcoyotes(aswellaspetfood).

b) Residentsneedto learnhazingeffectivenessandtechniques.Ahazingprogram

mustbeinstitutedandmaintainedonaregularbasis.

c) Hazingneedstobeactiveforasustainedperiodoftimetoachievethedesired

changeforthehighestpossiblelongtermsuccess.

d) Hazingrequiresmonitoringtoassessitseffectivenessandtodetermineiffurther

actionormoreaggressivehazingisneeded.

Overviewof

Hazing

Hazingisaprocesswherebyanumberofindividualsencounteringacoyoterespondin

likemannertomakeacoyoteuncomfortableandchoosetoleaveasituationwheretheir

presenceisunwanted.

Basichazingconsistsofstandingyourground,neverignoringorturningyourbacktoa

coyote(s),yellingandmakingunpleasantandfrighteningnoisesuntiltheanimal(s)choose

toleave.

More aggressive hazing consists of approaching an animal quickly and aggressively,

throwingprojectiles,sprayingwithahoseorwatergun,orcreatingfearofcontactsothe

animalleaves

the

situation.

For

more

options

see

Appendix

Con

hazing.

Hazingmustcontinueonceitbeginsuntiltheanimalleaves,otherwise,thecoyotewill

learntowaituntilthepersongivesup. Notfollowingthroughwithhazingwillcreate

ananimalmore resistant tohazing insteadof reinforcing the image that peopleare

scary.


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Hazingshouldneverinjuretheanimal.Aninjuredanimalbecomeslesspredictableversus

anormal,healthyonewhorespondsinaconsistentandpredictablemannertohazing.

Acommonconcernwithhazinginvolvespotentialdangertothehazer. Acoyotesbasic

nature is very skittish and the nature of the species is what makes this techniquesuccessful. Anormal,healthy coyotewillnotescalate a situationwith an aggressive

person. Hazing isNOT successfulwitheveryspeciesofwildanimalbecausedifferent

typesofanimalshavedifferenttraits.

Enforcement

Theactoffeedingwildlifeisknowntoleadtoanincreaseinwildlifeactivity. Feedingcan

attractcoyotesandtheirpreytoanarealeadingtoanincreasedlikelihoodofcreatinga

habituatedcoyote(s)resultinginincreasesincoyoteandhumaninteractions. California

lawprohibitsfeedingwildlife. LongBeachAnimalControlOfficerswillstrictlyenforcethe

Statelaw(s)

pertaining

to

this

activity.

CALIFORNIACODEOFREGULATIONSTITLE14

251.1.HarassmentofAnimals.

ExceptasotherwiseauthorizedintheseregulationsorintheFish&GameCode,

nopersonshallharass,herdordriveanygameornongamebirdormammalor

furbearingmammal.Forthepurposesofthissection,harassisdefinedasan

intentionalactwhichdisruptsananimal'snormalbehaviorpatterns,which

includes,butisnotlimitedto,breeding,feedingorsheltering.

Response

Plan

Adetailedtieredresponseplanhasbeendevelopedtoprovideamechanismfor

identifyingandclassifyingdifferentlevelsofhumanandcoyoteinteractions. Definitions

ofcoyoteencountersislistedinAppendixAandAppendix B provides a chart detailing

coyote behavior, behavior classification and recommended responses.

ThreatLevelTieredResponse

LevelRed: Acoyote thathasbeen involved inan investigatedanddocumentedprovokedor

unprovokedattackonahuman. CitystaffwillnotifyCaliforniaDepartmentofFishandWildlife

(DFW).City

staff

will

work

with

DFW

to

locate

and

eliminate

the

responsible

coyote(s).

LevelOrange: Acoyoteisinvolvedinanincident(s)wherethereisanattendeddomesticanimal

loss. Coyoteenteringadwellingoryardwherepeoplearepresent,oractingaggressivelytowards

people.Severallevel2typeincidents inthesamegeneralareamayindicatethepresenceofa

habituatedcoyote(s). Educationandaggressivehazingneeded,volunteerhazingteamcreated,

publicawarenessof incident(s)andcircumstancesdiscussed. Ifmultiple level2 incidentshave

occurredinthesamevicinitywithinashortamountoftime,lethalremovalmayberecommended.


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LevelYellow: A coyote appears to frequently associatewithhumansorhuman related food

sources,andexhibitslittlewarinessofhumanpresence, includingunattendeddomesticanimal

loss.Coyoteisseenduringthedayrestingorcontinuouslymovingthroughanareafrequentedby

people.Education

and

aggressive

hazing

needed,

volunteer

hazing

team

created.

LevelGreen:Acoyoteisseenorheardinanarea.Sightingmaybeduringthedayornight.Coyote

maybeseenmovingthroughtheareaorseenrestinginoneplace. Educationandhazingneeded.


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Page13of22

AppendixA

DefinitionsofEncounterswithCoyotes

Activecoexistence:

Humans

and

coyotes

exist

together.

Communities

decide

on

communityspace,suchasopenspaces,wherecoyotesareappropriateanddonothaze,

feed,orinteractwiththemintheseareas. Humanstakeanactiveroleinkeepingcoyotes

in their community wild by learning about coyote ecology and behavior, removing

attractants,takingresponsibilityforpetsafety,andhazingcoyotes inneighborhoodor

communityspaces(exceptforpredeterminedcoyoteappropriateareas).

AttackAhumanisinjuredorkilledbyacoyote.

Provoked A humanprovoked attack or incident where the human involved

encouragesthecoyotetoengage.Examplesincludedogoffleashinanonleasharea;

dogonleashlongerthan6inlength,orahumanintentionallyapproachesorfeeds

thecoyote.

Unprovoked Anunprovokedattackorincidentwherethehumaninvolveddoesnot

encouragethecoyotetoengage.

PetAttack

Attendedanimallossorinjury Whenapersoniswithin6ofthepetandthe

petisonleashandisattackedandinjuredbyacoyote.

Domestic animal lossor injury A coyote injuresor kills apet.Also includes

depredation predationondomesticpetsorlivestock. Unattendedanimalloss

or

injury

is

normal

behavior

for

a

coyote.

SuspectedPetAttack: ACoyote isanopportunistic feederandmay feedonanimals,

especiallycats,thatwerepreviouslykilledbycarsorothermeans. Theremainsmaybe

foundand indicate thattheanimalwasattackedbyacoyote. IncaseswhereAnimal

Control Officers respond to these calls, without knowledge of an actual attack, the

incidentwillberecordedasasuspectedattack.

Encounter:Anunexpected,directmeetingbetweenahumanandacoyotethatiswithout

incident.

Feeding

Intentionalfeeding Aresidentorbusinessactivelyand intentionallyfeedscoyotes

includingintentionallyprovidingfoodforanimalsinthecoyotefoodchain.

Unintentionalfeeding Aresidentorbusinessisunintentionallyprovidingaccessto

food. Examplessuchasaccessiblecompost,fallenfruitfromtrees,leftopensheds

anddoors,petfoodleftoutdoors,amongothers.


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Page14of22

Unintentionalfeedingbirdfeeders: Aresidentorbusinesswithbirdfeedersthat

mayprovidefoodforcoyotes,e.g.birds,birdfood,rodents,squirrels. Birdfeeders

mustbekepthighenoughfromthegroundsoacoyoteisunabletoreachthefeeding

animals.Theareaunderthebirdfeedermustbekeptcleanandfreeofresidualbird

food.

Hazing:Trainingmethodthatemploysimmediateuseofdeterrentstomoveananimal

out of an areaordiscourage an undesirablebehavioror activity. Hazing techniques

includeloudnoises,sprayingwater,brightlights,throwingobjects,shouting.Hazingcan

helpmaintainacoyotesfearofhumansanddeterthemfromneighborhoodspacessuch

asbackyardsandplayspaces. Hazingdoesnotdamageanimals,humansorproperty.

ThreatIncident:Aconflictbetweenahumanandacoyotewherethecoyoteexhibitsthe

followingbehavior:approachesahumanandgrowls,baresteeth,or lunges; injuresor

killsanattendeddomesticanimal.Ahumanisnotinjured.

StalkingIncident:Aconflictbetweenahumanandacoyotewherethecoyoteexhibits

thefollowingbehavior: followsapersonwithorwithoutanattendedpeton leash.A

humanisnotinjured

Observation:Theactofnoticingortakingnoteoftracks,scatorvocalizations.

Sighting:Avisualobservationofacoyote(s).Asightingmayoccuratanytimeoftheday

ornight.

UnsecuredTrash Trashthatisaccessibletowildlife,e.g.individualgarbagecans,bagsor

uncoveredor

open

dumpsters

or

trash

cans

over

flowing

or

where

scattered

trash

is

outsidethereceptacle.


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Page15of22

AppendixB

Coyotebehavior,behaviorclassificationandrecommendedresponse

CoyoteAction Classification Response

Coyoteheard Observation

Level Green

Provideeducationalmaterialsandinfoonnormalcoyotebehavior

Coyoteseenmovinginarea Sighting

Level Green

Provideeducationmaterialsandinfoonnormalcoyotebehavior

Coyoteseenrestinginarea Sighting

LevelYellow

orGreen

Ifareafrequentedbypeople,educateonnormalbehaviorandhaze

toencourageanimaltoleave. Lookforandeliminateattractants.

Coyotefollowingor

approachingapersonw/o

pet(Stalking)

Encounter

Level Yellow

Educateonhazingtechniques,whattodotips

Coyotefollowingor

approachingaperson

&

pet(Stalking)

Sighting

Encounter

Level Yellow

Educateonhazingtechniques,whattodotipsandpetsafety

Coyoteenteringayard

withoutpets

Sighting

Level Yellow

Educateoncoyoteattractants,yardaudit,providehazinginfo

Coyoteenteringayard

withpets

Encounter

Level Yellow

Educateoncoyoteattractants,yardaudit,hazinginfo,petsafety

Coyoteenteringyardand

injuringorkillingpetw/o

peoplepresent

PetAttack

Level Yellow

Develophazingteaminarea,gatherinfoonspecificanimals

involved,reportoncircumstances,educateoncoyoteattractants,

yardandneighborhoodaudits,petsafety

Coyoteenteringyardwith

people&pets,noinjury

occurring

Encounter

Level Orange

Gatherinfoonspecificanimalsinvolved,documentcircumstances,

educateoncoyoteattractants,yard/neighborhoodaudits,hazing,

petsafety

Coyotebitingorinjuring

unattendedpet/peton

leashlongerthan6'

PetAttack

Level Yellow

Gatherinfoonspecificanimalsinvolved,reportcircumstances,


petsafety


attendedpet/petonleash

6'orless

PetAttack

Level Orange

Gatherinfoonspecificanimalsinvolved,documentcircumstances,


petsafety

Coyoteenteringinteriorof

dwelling

Encounter

Threat

Level Orange


educateoncoyoteattractants,yard/neighborhoodaudits,

Aggressivehazing,petsafety.

Coyoteaggressive,showing

teeth,back

fur

raised,

lunging,nippingw/o

contact

Threat

LevelOrange


educateon

coyote

attractants,

yard/

neighborhood

audits,

Aggressivehazing,petsafety.


person

Attack

Level Red

Identifyandgather informationonspecificanimal involved,report

circumstances,educateoncoyoteattractants,yard/neighborhood

audits,hazing,andpet safety.City staffwill inform theCalifornia

DepartmentofFishandGame. Lethalremovalrecommended.


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Appendix C

HazingProgramandTrainingPlan

Coexistence

is

not

a

passive

undertaking.

Long

Beachs

guiding

principles

are

to

coexistwithwildlife.

HazingandBehavioralChange

Someurbancoyoteshavebecomecomfortable incloseproximitytopeople. Tosafely

coexist,itsimportanttomodifythisbehaviorandattitudeinresidentcoyotepopulations.

Urbancoyotebehaviorneedstobereshapedtoencouragecoyotestoavoidcontactwith

humansandpets

Hazingistheprocessthatfacilitatesthischangeandisbynecessityacommunityresponse

toencounters

with

coyotes.

The

more

often

an

individual

animal

is

hazed,

the

more

effectivehazingisinchangingcoyotebehavior.

Hazing employs immediate use of deterrents to move an animal out of an area or

discourage undesirable behavior or activity. Deterrents include loud noises, spraying

water,brightlights,throwingobjects,shouting. Hazingcanhelpmaintainacoyotesfear

ofhumansanddiscouragethemfromneighborhoodssuchasbackyardsandplayareas.

Hazingdoesnotharmordamageanimals,humansorproperty. Behavioralchangealso

involveshumanactivitiessuchashow to identifyand removeattractantsandhow to

responsiblyprotectpets.

FoundationofHazing

a) It isnoteconomically,ecologicallyor inotherwaysefficienttotryandremove

coyotesfromtheurbanecosystem.

b) Hazing isonepieceof a longtermplan in creating safe and acceptable living

situations, increase understanding and reduce conflict between coyotes and

people.

GoalsofHazing

1) Toreshapecoyotebehaviortoavoidhumancontactinanurbansetting. Human

behavior can shape animal behavior, in either anegative or positivemanner.Peoplelivingincloseproximitytocoyotescanremovecoyoteattractants,identify

potentiallydangeroussituationsfortheirpetsandthemselves,andrespondina

mannerdesignedtochangecoyotebehavior.


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2) Toprovideresidentsinformationandtoolstoactivelyengageinreshapingcoyote

behaviorandtosupportfeelingsafeintheirparksandneighborhoods.Thiscanbe

accomplishedbyteachingresidentshazingtechniques.Thelatterwillbeinitiated

bycommunityvolunteers.

3) Tomodelhazingbehaviorandshareaccurateinformationaboutcoyotesamong

otherresidents,friendsandfamily.

4) Monitorhazingbyvolunteerstoassessitseffectivenessanddetermineiffurther

actionormoreaggressivehazingisneeded.

5) Developlongtermcommunitybasedhazingprogramsbyvolunteers.

GeneralConsiderations

1. Levelsofhazingneedtobeappropriatelyrelevanttocoyoteactivity.

a) Coyotesliveinopenspacesandthebestpracticeistoleavethemalone

andeducatethepubliconpersonalsafety.

b) Coyotesareoftenoutlateatnightwhenfewpeoplearepresent.This is

normalacceptablebehavior.Hazingmaynotbenecessary.

c) Exceptions: Inearlystagesofhazing,programsshouldstillengageanimal.

Coyotes that associate danger in the presence of people under all

circumstanceswillbereinforcedtoavoidcontact.

2. Hazingmustbemoreexaggerated,aggressiveandconsistentwhenfirstbeginning

aprogram

of

hazing.

As

coyotes

learn

appropriate

responses

to

hazing,

it

will

take lesseffort fromhazers. Early in theprocess, it isextremely common for

coyotesnottorespondtohazingtechniques.Withoutahistoryofhazing,theydo

nothavetherelevantcontexttorespondinthedesiredoutcome(toleave).

3. Techniquesandtoolscanbeusedinthesamemannerforoneormultipleanimals.

Usuallythereisadominantanimalinagroupwhowillrespond otherswillfollow

itslead.DONOTignore,turnyourbackoravoidhazingbecausetherearemultiple

animalsinsteadofasingleindividual.

4. The

more

often

an

individual

coyote

is

hazed

by

a

variety

of

tools

and

techniques

andavarietyofpeople,themoreeffectivehazingwillbeinchangingthatanimals

futurebehavior.

5. Hazingmustbedirectlyassociatedwiththepersoninvolvedinthehazingactions.

The coyotemustbe awareofwhere thepotential threat is coming from and

identifytheperson.


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6. Coyotescananddorecognize individualpeopleandanimals intheirterritories.

Theycanlearntoavoidorharassspecificindividualsinresponsetobehaviorof

thepersonand/orpet.

7. Coyotescanberoutineinhabit. Identifyingtheirnormalhabitscanhelptargetwhichhabitstochange.Forexample,thecoyotepatrolsthesamebikepathatthe

sametimeinthemorningthreetofivedaysaweek. Hazersshouldconcentrate

onthattimeandplacetoencouragetheanimaltoadaptitsroutinetodecrease

contactwithpeople.

8. Certainlevelsofhazingmustalwaysbemaintainedsothatfuturegenerationsof

coyotesdonot learnorreturntounacceptablehabitsrelatedtohabituationto

people.

9. Humanbehavior

must

change

to

support

hazing

and

continued

identification

and,

ifnecessary,removepossibleattractants.

10.Education about exclusion techniques including how to identify and remove

attractants, personal responsibility in pet safety and having reasonable

expectationsarecriticalpartsofacoyotehazingplan.

11.Coyotesareskittishbynature. Habituatedbehaviorislearnedandreinforcedby

humanbehavior. CoyotesasaruleDONOTactaggressivelytowardsaggressive

people. The one exception is a sick or injured animal. Engaging a sick

or

injured

animal

can

result

in

unpredictable

behavior.

If

this

is

suspected,

people

shouldnotengageandremovethemselvesfromthesituation,thenimmediately

contactLongBeachACSat5625707387.

12.Individualsinvolvedinhazingneedtobetrainedinexplaininghazingtoresidents

whowitnesstheprocess.Theyalsoneedtoexplainthedifferencebetweenhazing

andharassmentofwildlifeandgoalsofappropriatebehaviorforcoexistence.

TrainingProgram

Because

coexisting

with

wildlife

involves

the

community,

initiating

the

hazing

training

programsandhazingactivitiesbyvolunteersmustbesupervisedbyexperts.Withoutthis

support, the programs ultimately fail. Information should include basic training on

background, coyote ecology information, and overview of hazing, examples of

techniques. Materials shouldbeprovidedsuchashandouts,contact informationand

resourceswhenquestions,commentsandconcernscomeuprelatingtocoyotes.


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Volunteersneedtolearnaboutcoyotebehaviorandbeawareofrealisticexpectations,

understandingnormalversusabnormalcoyotebehaviorandhavingaconsistentresponse

toresidentsconcernsandcomments.

PublicHazingTraining

Hazing requires by necessity community involvement, understanding, and support.

Residentsarebestequippedtorespondconsistentlyandatthemostopportunetimesin

theirownneighborhoods,parksandopenspaces.

1. Locationsoftrainingsofferedshallbebasedondataaccumulatedfrompublicon

coyoteactivityinspecificneighborhoods,parksoropenspaceorproactivelywhen

requestedbyneighborhoodcommunityorvolunteergroups.

2. Trainingsarefreetothepublic.

3. Topicsto

be

covered

include

but

are

not

limited

to:

a. basiccoyoteinformation

b. discussiononwhycoyotesareinthecity

c. normalandabnormalcoyotebehavior

d. seasonalbehaviorchangesbreedingseason,pups,denningbehavior

e. realityofdangerstowardspeoplevs.dangertowardspets

f. childrenandcoyotes

g. howhumanbehaviorinfluencescoyotebehavior

h. attractants

i. tipsondeterringanimalsfromenteringprivateproperty

j. appropriateresponsewhenencounteringacoyote

k. whatishazing,goals,howtoengage

l. appropriatehazingtechniquesandtools

m. petsafetytips

4. Interested individuals/groups and participants can contact Long BeachAnimal

Care

Services

and

be

placed

on

a

confidential

email

list.

Updates,

additional

coyoteinformation,electronicflyersandhandoutssentout.Allinformationcan

beandisencouragedtobepassedontoothers.

5. Participantsshallbenotifiedofhotspotsandaskedtohazeinthearea.

6. Askforfeedbackonhazingtraininganduseofhazingtechniques.


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7. Participants shall email detailed accounts of encounters and hazing (Hazing

interaction reports, to volunteer hazers for evaluation of program, progress,

successfultoolsandtechniquesbeingused,techniquesandtoolsneeded.

a. Date,location,timeofday,numberofcoyotes

b. Initialcoyotebehavior,hazingbehavior,coyoteresponsec. Effectivenessratings

d. Toolsandtechniquesused

e. Additionaldetails/comments

CreatingaVolunteerHazingTeam

Agroupofvolunteerstrainedincoyotehazingtechniquescanbequiteusefulto

respondtocoyoteconflictsinpublicareas(suchasparks,playgrounds,etc.).The

followingguidelinesaresuggestedformanagingavolunteerhazingteam:

1. Volunteersshouldbetrainedinpropercoyotehazingtechniques(asdiscussed

above).

2. VolunteersshouldbeaddedtoaCommunityCitizenVolunteeremaillist,from

whichtheywillbenotifiedofhotspotsandaskedtohazeinthearea.

3. Updates,additionalcoyoteinformation,electronicflyersandhandoutsshouldbe

senttomembersoftheCommunityCitizenVolunteergrouptodisseminateto

thegeneralpublic.

4. VolunteersshouldfilloutaHazingInteractionReportaftereachhazingactivity.

SummaryofHazing

Hazingisaprocesswherebyindividualsandvolunteersrespondinlikemannertomakea

coyoteuncomfortableandchoosetoleaveasituationwheretheirpresenceisunwanted.

Basichazingconsistsofstandingyourground,neverignoringorturningyourbacktoa

coyote(s),yellingandmakingunpleasantandfrighteningnoisesuntiltheanimal(s)choose

toleave.

More aggressive hazing consists of approaching an animal quickly and aggressively,

throwingprojectiles,sprayingwithahoseorwatergun,orcreatingfearofcontactsotheanimalleavesthesituation.Note:Manyprojectilesarenotlegalincludingbutnotlimited

toslingshots,paintballs,gunsandpepperballs.

Hazingmustcontinueonceitbeginsuntiltheanimalleaves,otherwise,thecoyotewill

learntowaituntilthepersongivesup.Thecoyotewillcreateananimalmoreresistance

tohazinginsteadofreinforcingtheimagethatpeoplearescary.


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Page21of22

Hazingshouldneverinjuretheanimal.Aninjuredanimalbecomeslesspredictableversus

anormal,healthyonewhorespondsinaconsistentandpredictablemannertohazing.

Hazingshouldbeconductedinamannerthatallowsthecoyotetoreturntoitsnormalhabitatinadirectionthatwouldminimizeharmtotheanimal. Hazingtheanimalinthe

directionofotherhousesandbusystreetsshouldbeavoided.

Hazingusesavarietyofdifferenthazing tools. This is criticalas coyotes getused to

individualitemsandsounds.

Noisemaker:Voice,whistles,airhorns,bells,shakercans,pots,piepans

Projectiles: sticks,smallrocks,cans,tennisballs,rubberballs.

Deterrents: hoses, spray bottles with vinegar, pepper spray, bear repellant,

walkingsticks

Note: Additional Hazing tips can be found in the Wildlife section at

www.longbeach.gov/acs

.


23/23

AppendixD

CoyoteYardAuditChecklist

(For municipal or homeowner use)

OK FIX Ways to Mitigate

FOOD NEVER hand-feed or intentionally feed a coyote!

Pet Food Never feed pets outdoors; store all pet food securely indoors.

Water Sources Remove water attractants (such as pet water bowls) in dryclimates.

Bird Feeders Remove bird feeders or clean fallen seed to reduce the presencof small mammals that coyotes prefer to eat.

Fallen Fruit Clean up fallen fruit around trees.

Compost Do not include meat or dairy among compost contents unless fuenclosed.

BBQ Grills Clean up food around barbeque grills after each use.

Trash Secure all trash containers with locking lids and place curbsidethe morning of trash pickup. Periodically clean cans to reduceresidual odors.

LANDSCAPING Trim vegetation to reduce hiding places and potential denningsites.

Structures/Outbuildings Restrict access under decks and sheds, around woodpiles, or aother structure that can provide cover or denning sites for coyotor their prey.

*FENCING Enclose property with an *8-foot fence (or a 6-foot fence with aadditional extension or roller-top) to deter coyotes. Ensure thatthere are no gaps and that the bottom of the fence extendsunderground 6 inches or is fitted with a mesh apron to detercoyotes from digging underneath. *Must comply with LB Cod

PETS Never leave pets unattended outside.

Never allow pets to play with coyotes.

Fully enclose outdoor pet kennels.Walk pets on a leash no longer than 6 feet in length.

We encourage you to take steps to eliminate attractants on your property in order to

minimize conflicts with coyotes. We also urge you to share this information with friendsand neighbors because minimizing conflicts is most effective when the entire

neighborhood works together.

Long Beach Coyote Management Plan

Documents

Transcript of Long Beach Coyote Management Plan