Uptick in coyote sightings has Goleta residents taking extra precautions with kids and pets
GOLETA, Calif. — Coyote sightings are not uncommon, whether it's Los Angeles, New York, or Santa Barbara County.
In an anonymous Edhat post, one user says she has encountered coyotes every single day this past week.
When talking to Goleta residents and UC Santa Barbara students, they said they believe the construction is leading to more contact with coyotes.
“Last night when I was coming back from campus I saw a coyote like near the basketball courts,” said UCSB student, Saad Al Mulhem.
“We used to see them during dusk or sunset, you know, just random times. And now it's all the time,” said Santa Barbara Humane Director of Shelter Services, Sandy Simmons.
Environmentalists say locally, construction and development is rapidly displacing these native animals and depleting their food resources.
“When I've seen them in the past, it's usually been like one at a time and you'll see one scurrying around. But there was a group of four of them coming, like I said, from the golf course area towards like Camino Real and they were just crossing through the woods and stuff. They're right by Dos Pueblos,” said Rachel Amundsen, a Goleta resident.
Hungry or thirsty coyotes will then come to areas where they find livestock like chickens, or even smaller pets like cats and dogs.
“It's scary for her [my cat] not for me, but for her. I would I would just feel so bad if something happened to her,” said Phil Johnston, another Goleta resident.
More desperate animals might even attack small children if there are no other available food sources.
Santa Barbara Humane says recent water shortages in the mountains and hills caused by high heat makes their movement patterns unpredictable.
“There is no normal, an abnormal any longer when it comes to coyotes. They're in cities. They're in neighborhoods that we would not think that they would even have access to. They're going into people's backyards. They're jumping fences,” said Simmons.
“Even in the enclosure of a backyard. Like, if you're not watching your dog, then they might be mauled by a coyote if you live on a hill or something,” said Goleta resident, Joey Zhou.
Experts say if you encounter a coyote you should make noise, make yourself look big, maintain eye contact, and back away slowly.
The worst thing to do is to run away which can trigger a coyote’s natural instincts to chase its prey.
Carrying something like a hand-held alarm could be a great deterrent to a coyote.
Santa Barbara Humane also suggests other noise makers like canned air and air horns.
For smaller dogs, porcupine vests that protect their vital organs could be a lifesaver.
