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Following stories of a coyote attack on a dog in Danville, reported by regional news outlets such as ABC7 and KRON4, as well as other concerns expressed by residents about the coyotes, the police chief City took to Facebook to address the concerns in a weekly podcast. the week.
Danville Police Chief Allan Shields concluded his September 29 livestream with a briefing report on concerns about coyotes in the area which have recently escalated, with numerous regional media reports of residents who suspected they had lost their dogs to coyote attacks, based on camera footage.
Shields noted that unless there is an incident in which a coyote attacks a human, police do not intervene, instead referring complaints to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Additionally, DFH’s policy is to leave coyotes alone as much as possible, from a conservation standpoint.
It also means that there is no official recourse when a pet is lost in a coyote attack, placing the responsibility for the safety of pets even more on the shoulders of their owners.
To deal with this, Shields provided a number of recommendations to “protect the coyotes” in his garden, with the goal of keeping dogs in particular, who might be spending time alone outdoors, away from the harsh weather. encounters with coyotes. Some of these include “coyote rollers,” digging deterrents such as spikes and covered outdoor kennels.
In the absence of these precautions, Shields noted that leaving dogs alone outside is not recommended.
In addition to concerns about the safety of pets, Danville residents had expressed concern that coyote sightings were becoming commonplace and worried that the animals would be more difficult to deter, having become more acclimatized to humans.
Shields discussed coyote “hazing” techniques aimed at solving this problem by intentionally scaring the animals without harming them. Loud noises, threatening movements, and projectiles aimed at coyotes (but not directly at them) are all recommended methods of coyote “hazing” by the Humane Society that ordinary citizens can use. Some effective tools for this are megaphones, whistles, water guns, and hoses.
“Anything that’s going to make them back down and fear you,” Shields said.
One form of deterrence Shields said to avoid, however, was hooded pistols, or anything that closely resembled a gun. This is partly, he says, because there are more efficient noise makers. However, he also expressed concerns, as a police chief, that the use of hooded or pellet guns could lead to fear and confusion for residents, believing they are seeing someone with a handgun. fire, as well as the police.
“What I wouldn’t want to do is bring what looks like a gunshot, with what might look like a starter pistol, whatever weapon, into an area that is not controlled, so that a witness sees it and says “hey, I think I just saw someone shoot a gun,” Shields said. “We want to avoid this at all costs. “
In general, coyotes should be discouraged from interacting with humans and entering public spaces, even if they do not pose a threat. Shields pointed out the stark difference in the behavior of wild animals that are in the wild, compared to those that are used to human interaction.
“What I discovered while reading is that coyotes are naturally afraid of humans, they want to stay away, but the more they come to urban areas and suburbs, they will think humans are more accessible. “said Shields.
More information on coyote safety and deterrence can be found through the Humane Society and the DFW.
The full video from Shields’ September 29 podcast is available through the Danville Police Department Facebook page, along with videos from other weeks. Shields discussed fraud and fraud protection in the latest installment on October 6.
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