In an area where squirrels seem to be the prevalent critters
stalking the trees and sidewalks, coyotes have recently established
a place for themselves in Westwood’s animal kingdom.
Local residents have reported increased coyote sightings during
the nighttime hours in the past three months, prompting concern for
the welfare of pets that have been left outside overnight.
Karen Martin, a Westwood resident who works as a nurse at the
Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical
Center, said she spotted two coyotes around 2 a.m. on Aug. 13, near
the Southern Regional Library Facility on Gayley and Kelton
Avenues.
Martin said she was walking her dog through the neighborhood
when a coyote stopped and stared at them. She believes her presence
prevented the coyote from attacking her pet.
“If I had not been there with my dog, it (the dog) would
been (the coyote’s) dinner that night,” she said.
Larry Londre, another Westwood resident and a professor of
marketing and communications at USC, saw two coyotes while walking
on Tilden Avenue. Londre, also a member of the Westwood
Homeowners’ Association, said there have been increasing
numbers of coyote sightings.
“Every other day people are seeing coyotes,” he
said. “It’s getting bad.”
The coyotes have been traveling from nearby hills and canyons in
search of water because of the warm weather, said Rick Greenwood,
director of Environment, Health and Safety at UCLA.
Despite the growing coyote presence in the area, students and
residents should not fear that they might inflict harm on people,
Greenwood said.
“Coyotes are pretty shy animals,” he said, adding
that incidents of coyotes attacking humans are rare
occurrences.
Martin said, in her situation, the coyote “wasn’t
making threatening gestures or defensive gestures,” but
later, she saw what she called inebriated students taunting the
coyote.
Greenwood said common sense dictates against any sort of
provocation, and also concurred with Martin’s sentiment that
residents need to be more cautious with their pets now that the
coyotes are around.
“They are generally a threat to domestic cats and small
dogs,” he said.
Londre added that the homeowners’ association has received
reports for missing dogs and cats since the surge of coyote
sightings.
However, there has been no police intervention because the
coyotes are not damaging property or harming people, said Nancy
Greenstein, university police director of police community
services.