Are coyotes becoming more aggressive? For people who have suffered the loss of a pet due tot a coyote snatching, it appears so, but that’s not necessarily true.
There were only two reported coyote attacks on people in 2011 in LA County; in 2015, that number went up to 15. Last year, it was 16. Those numbers don’t really constitute a public health emergency, but the increases are still unsettling,especially to families with pets and young children.
Rebecca Barboza, is an environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and says it’s not always the coyotes fault and people also have to take responsibility for their actions.
“When people start feeling sorry for coyotes and start feeding them, usually the instances where we see pets becoming attacked, or snatched off the leash, is because coyotes learn to expect the food reward. Usually only happens when it’s a sympton of a larger problem, which is human behavior. It creates the condition where coyotes don’t fear us and become used to getting the food and more aggressively wanting it.”
She goes on to say the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has partnered with the University of California to form urban coyote control groups in areas of Orange and LA Counties where coyotes are prevalent. Of course, they definitely recommend that individual aggressive coyotes be put down, but in the long run, that will not solve the problem.
Barboza was a guest on McIntyre in the Morning.
Sharon Reardon, KABC News
