Pets Coyote Advisory Issued For Murrieta’s California Oaks Sports Park Coyotes are naturally afraid of humans, but they are resourceful and can survive in urban and residential areas. Reply
If coyotes are given access to human food and garbage, their behavior changes, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, which recommends “keeping coyotes wild” by, among other things, never feeding them. (Shutterstock)
MURRIETA, CA — The city of Murrieta announced Thursday that coyotes have been sighted at California Oaks Sports Park.
“While coyote sightings in Murrieta are not uncommon, it is unusual that they appear while so many people are gathered in the park,” the city advised. Coyotes play an important role in the ecosystem, helping to keep rodent populations under control. They are naturally afraid of humans, but they are resourceful and can survive in urban and residential areas, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
If coyotes are given access to human food and garbage, their behavior changes, according to the agency which recommends “keeping coyotes wild” by, among other things, never feeding them. “Feeding a coyote will cause it to lose its natural fear of people and may result in a dangerous situation for people, pets, and coyotes,” the agency warns.
Murrieta residents who live near open spaces know the dangers coyotes can pose to pets like cats, rabbits, chickens, baby livestock, and small- to medium-sized dogs. The following from the city and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife provides tips for living with coyotes: