Coyotes are no strangers to the surrounding foothill communities of Rancho Cucamonga.
We’ve always warned our kids not to panic if they found a coyote wandering in the neighborhood. But to definitely stay clear. Coyotes are a part of our natural environment and have coexisted peacefully with humans for thousands of years. They are normally fearful of humans, but tend to come into our environment in search of food, water and shelter since they are having a harder time finding food in their natural habitat.
As we come closer to spring and began to spend more time outdoors, coyote sightings are on the increase. My Daughter came close up and personal with a not so wily coyote as she jogged down Wilson just North of Chaffey College early this morning. I don’t know who was panicked more – her when she saw it so close or me when she told me the story!
She stated that the coyote seemed to be testing his boundaries and did not appear to be at all afraid of her, but fortunate for her it didn’t appear that hungry either. She said it ran about 20 feet in front of her and then turned and stared. She immediately crossed the street and without taking her eyes off of it, began looking for something to pick up and throw if it became necessary. Just as real panic began to set in, she said a car passed, blew its horn startling the Coyote who then ran off down the drive into the Chaffey College preserve.
Even though Coyotes are not generally known to attack adults unprovoked . . . Joggers, BEWARE!
Homeowners be cautious and take heed to the following tips from the Rancho Cucamonga Animal Care to help you avoid attracting coyotes to your property. Coyotes are very nimble and clever and have been known to scale any fence if the reward on the other side is sufficiently tempting:
- Don’t leave small children outdoors unattended or unsupervised.
- Don’t keep your pet’s food outdoors.
- Keep your small pets indoors.
- Keep garbage in a tightly sealed container.
- Use yard lights or motion detectors to frighten them away.
Needless to say, tomorrow morning my Daughter’s run will include pepper spray and her Pit Bull Terrier, Ryder.
