Coyote Sightings in Wilshire and Larchmont Areas Continue

Many residents in the Wilshire and Larchmont areas are reporting seeing coyotes in full daylight on city streets and in residential yards. Sightings appear to be on the uptick currently, with the animal(s) described as very healthy and not emmaciated, large, and bold. There have been reports of a coyote attacking a small dog in Windsor Square but this has not be confirmed. Last year a coyote killed a small dog in Windsor Village in the early morning hours.

Coyote sightings have been noted in Larchmont Village, Windsor Village, Brookside, Windsor  Square and Hancock Park. Coyotes are most often seen in the morning and evening hours, but still in “broad daylight”.

I personally saw one saunter up the sidewalk on Lorraine Blvd last month at 9:30 am. It waited at Third Street for the traffic to subside, then coolly trotted across all five lanes to the other side of the street – it didn’t even jaywalk! – and proceeded north on Lorraine.

Given numerous sightings again in Windsor Village, WV resident Julie Stromberg reached out to Officer Huang Dinh of LA’s Department of Animal Services He responded with the following message:

I have still occasionally patrolled your area, really good to see all the people enjoying and utilizing the park. I do kind of cringe when I see all the trash and hope it is contained securely after all the fun. The next couple of months is when I receive the highest amount of sightings throughout the City, due to the pups born in spring are now juveniles and either moving with mom in other parts of the city or transient coyotes kicked out of those prime areas and looking to establish in new areas (like residential).

This may sound bad, but nevertheless, we all should take advantage of how impressionable they all are and haze without harming them from a safe distance. Not letting them even get the slightest idea this area is safe for them to stay, and we should definitely not invite them.

Ask everyone to keep an eye out for excessive trash, fruits, dogs off leash even retractables, and worse of all (in my opinion and specific to your area) dense brush. I understand it’s mostly for privacy, but from the inside of the property looking out, thin it to the point where there is more exposure so not even a criminal/transient can hide.

Actually there is something worse, but very hard to catch, [and that] is someone may be feeding them intentionally (I don’t really get that indication in your area). So far from all the investigating and patrolling in your area, I feel the dense brush is the biggest problem (unfortunately I do not have any facts to prove this). It acts as both cover (maybe even shelter) and a point to ambush from. I hope this helps and thanks again.

Officer Dinh also shared some deterrents citizens can use in scaring away coyotes from your yard or in a confrontation on the street. These include:

• Carry a police or storm whistle and use it if you see a coyote;
• Carry an umbrella, flap it open and closed repeatedly creating sound and a large presence;
• Carry a tennis ball to throw at coyote, or a “coyote dazzler”, a tennis ball with 2-3 strips of mylar ribbons attached to swing over your head and create noise and reflection to scare coyote away (see photo below);
• Remove or thin out all dense vegetation and shrubbery, brush, wood and compost piles on property;
• Never leave dog or cat food outdoors;
• Remove ripened and fallen fruit from fruit trees – coyotes eat a wide variety of fruit;
• Keep cats inside and dogs on a short leash near you.

Have you seen a coyote in your neighborhood? Share what time of day, and the street  where you sighted it below in our comments section.

MORE TIPS and SIGHTINGS: Larchmont Buzz: Coyote Roaming the Area is Bold