Full Notification

The Newport Beach Police Department's Animal Control Unit would like to alert the Community to recent coyote activity in your area.  In order to advise and educate members of the Newport Beach Community, the Newport Beach Police Department has compiled the following information on coyote activity.

Coyotes are found in all areas of Orange County.  They are a native animal and a critical component of the ecosystem.  Contrary to popular belief, these animals do not require open space or wild areas to survive.  In fact, most of the coyotes found in urban environments are descended from generations of coyotes who have lived and flourished in the urbanized areas of Orange County.

Though they are far from domesticated, coyotes are very comfortable living alongside human beings. If a coyote begins frequenting your neighborhood, let them know that they are not welcome.  Make loud noises, show an aggressive posture, or spray them with a garden hose to deter them from approaching your property.  For everyone’s safety, it is essential that coyotes preserve their natural wariness of humans.

While they are not normally a danger to humans, coyotes will display defensive behaviors if threatened or cornered.  Therefore, if you encounter a coyote, it is important to leave a comfortable distance between yourself and the animal.  Coyotes defend their territory and family in a similar manner to domesticated dogs.  If a coyote behaves aggressively, you have probably gotten too close to its prey or its family; increase your distance until the coyote acts less threatening.  For their own safety, children should be taught to avoid strange animals, whether domesticated or not, and not to feed wild animals.

Unfortunately, some Newport Beach residents have lost pets to coyote attacks.  Though coyotes generally hunt between sunset and sunrise, they are active at all hours of the day or night.  Small pets in particular can easily become prey for these skilled predators.  In a matter of minutes, a coyote can attack and remove a pet from a back yard that is enclosed by a six-foot fence or wall.

Here are some steps that you can take to protect your pets, and to make your property less attractive to nuisance animals such as coyotes:

• Fence off animal enclosures (fully-enclosed, if possible).
• Cats, small dogs, and other small animals should not be allowed outside alone, even in a fenced area.  It is highly recommended that small pets are always accompanied by their owner when outside the home, and that pets are not left in yards overnight.
• Keep dogs on a leash (at a maximum length of six feet) at all times.  Extendable leashes do not meet the requirements of the Newport Beach Municipal Code, and will not adequately prevent your dog from becoming the victim of a coyote attack.
• Feed your pets indoors.
• Eliminate potential food and water sources, such as fallen fruit and standing water.
• Store trash in heavy-duty containers.
• Keep yards free of potential shelter materials, such as thick brush or weeds.
• Enclose the bottoms of porches and decks.

Eradication and/or relocation (trapping, killing) of the urban coyote are not effective solutions.  These programs have been shown to actually create a vacuum in nature, leading to larger litters of coyote pups and a long-term increase in the overall coyote population.  Coyotes are actually beneficial to the balance of the local ecosystem, as they prey on rodents and other small wild animals.

We welcome members of the Community to contact us with any questions or concerns they may have.  Anyone with an Animal Control issue may call the Newport Beach Police Department at 949-644-3717.