Mar Vista community concerned over growing number of coyotes

Neighbors in Mar Vista say the coyotes are stalking residents and going after pets. They say the city is telling them to just learn to coexist with the animals. 

Run-ins with coyotes happen on a daily basis in the neighborhood, at pretty much any time of day. Neighbors say their pets aren't safe and their kids aren't either.

“Coyotes in our yards every day,” Shelley Beringhele, a neighbor, said. 

But this isn’t a rural area or even the suburbs. This is right in the middle of Los Angeles.

“I don’t live up in the mountains or out in the wilderness so this is just really odd to me,”  Beringhele said.

Neighbors say over the last year the coyotes have multiplied and grown bolder.

“I think I counted 16 today,” neighbor Jennifer Bedolla said.

“They’re very aggressive I would say in the last couple of months,” Beringhele said.

One was seen chasing a little dog in its yard before another dog helps run it off.

“A coyote tried to attack him and out of nowhere my little guy Bart came and chased the coyote away,” Janelle Arias said.

One video showed a neighbor walking his dog, not realizing a coyote was on their tail.

“You don’t know if they’re going to pounce or attack,” Beringhele said.

Pets are a concern, but not the biggest one.

“I’ve seen coyotes just sitting on the lawn at the school,” Beringhele said.

“I was walking at the end of the street and I saw three or four coyotes staring at me," Naya Trimming, a neighbor said.

“My youngest has been charged they come down off the hill and charge him where he’s playing soccer,” Bedolla said.

Neighbors reported the issue to the Los Angeles County Agricultural Commissioner office in late March.

When the county went out to inspect they found a den of coyotes in a neighbor’s yard.

According to Deputy Agriculture Commissioner Max Regis, this is coyote puppy season. 

He’s seen some of the videos from this neighborhood and says they seem to reflect normal coyote behavior, moms teaching the pups life skills

"A mom is teaching her pups how to hunt how to kill in our backyards there has to be a better place for them," Beringhele said.

The county said that address isn’t in their jurisdiction and they referred this matter to LA City Councilwoman Traci Park's office back in April. Neighbors say they received a letter from the councilwoman and later learned of a web presentation she did which they didn’t feel was much help

"It all goes back to the same PowerPoint which it says to coexist which I get it but there’s so many," Bedolla said.

According to Regis, it's illegal to relocate the coyotes. He says when the county deals with these situations there are two options, let the coyotes be or euthanize them. Neighbors say one way or another they need to go.

Some safety tips if you encounter a coyote.

• Never feed or attempt to tame coyotes. The result may be deadly conflicts with pets or livestock, or serious injuries to small children.
• Do not leave small children or pets outside unattended.
• Install motion-sensitive lighting around the house.
• Trim ground-level shrubbery to reduce hiding places.
• Be aware that coyotes are more active in the spring, when feeding and protecting their young.
• If followed by a coyote, make loud noises. If this fails, throw rocks in the animal’s direction.
• If a coyote attacks a person, immediately contact the nearest Department of Fish and Wildlife or law enforcement office.
• Put garbage in tightly closed containers that cannot be tipped over.
• Remove sources of water, especially in dry climates.
• Bring pets in at night, and do not leave pet food outside.
• Avoid using bird feeders as they attract rodents and other coyote prey.
• Provide secure enclosures for rabbits, poultry and other livestock.
• Pick up fallen fruit and cover compost piles.
• Ask your neighbors to follow these tips.