The Rossmoor Wildlife Watch program has been adapted from the comprehensive Wildlife Watch program developed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). This plan utilizes the cooperative efforts of community residents, local public safety officials, along with state and county agencies to educate, report, and when necessary remove/trap/kill problem (habituated or acculturated) animals. Adapted plans like ours plans have been adopted by cities throughout Orange County including Huntington Beach, Seal Beach, and Irvine.
Our public safety agencies including the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD), Orange County Animal Care (OCAC), and CDFW all play an important role in helping us keep Rossmoor safe for everyone.
In Rossmoor, our primary concern is the coyotes that live and breed in the open areas that surround our neighborhood. From the Armed Forces Reserve Base and the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Base to the open spaces around the 405 and 605 freeways and the Long Beach Water treatment plant to the west of the 605, coyotes have plenty of places to shelter and breed.
A natural predator, the urban coyote will eat almost anything. In fact about 90% of a coyotes diet is made up of animals and meat is their preferred food. To fill this preference, coyotes catch and eat rats, opossum, snakes, mice, raccoons, birds, and their eggs. Coyotes will also track and eat cats and small dogs when they are easy to find or other options are not available. Coyotes will also eat fruit, especially when it is left on the ground and will dig through your garbage if it’s not secured in a closed container.
Coyotes are very smart and adaptable to their surroundings. Native to California and the southwest, coyotes ate now found in every state except Hawaii. They have adapted to and thrive in both rural and urban settings.
The goal of this this Program when it comes to coyote management is to support coexistence with urban coyotes using education, behavior modification, and development of a tiered response to aggressive coyote behavior. The suggested actions in our Coyote Management Plan are designed to increase residents’ knowledge and understanding of how coyotes behave and make clear how such behavior can be managed to reduce or eliminate conflicts with coyotes.
The strategy for managing coyotes is based on balancing respect and protection of wildlife and their habitats without compromising public safety. The main strategy is comprised of a four pronged approach consisting of:
- Public Education designed around co-existence with coyotes and how to effectively report coyote activity so additional actions can be taken by our public safety agencies. Both parts are critical to the safety of everyone in Rossmoor.
- Effective reporting and tracking of first-hand coyote activity and sightings. This information is then passed along to OC Animal Care and CDFW.
- Enforcement of laws and regulations prohibiting the intentional and unintentional feeding of wild animals and enforcing licensing and leash laws for dogs.
- Ensuring public safety by implementing appropriate tiered responses to coyote and human interactions. This plan requires active participation on the part of the entire community including our public safety agencies and residents.
Please join us by supporting the best practices around your home, making accurate reports of any coyote activity you see, and if you want to make a real difference here in Rossmoor, request to join our Rossmoor Wildlife Team.