The Seal Beach City Council is expected to receive an on the city’s coyote stratigic trapping program at the agency’s 7 p.m. meeting tonight, Monday, Oct. 13.
It is not known how many, if any coyotes have been trapped. The staff report attached to the PDF of the council agenda package said simply “discussion item.”
Animal rights activists opposed to the trapping program are expected to meet at City Hall at 6:30 p.m.
Seal Beach residents, particularly in Council District One, lobbied for the trapping program that was supported by a narrow majority of the city’s coyote subcommittee. Leisure World, a private gated community within the borders of Seal Beach, has also launched a coyote trapping program.
Trapping supporters argue that removing a few coyotes may re-instill the coyotes’ historic fear of humans. In recent years coyotes have killed numerous pets in Seal Beach and in two known instances have darted through the open doorways of homes in Leisure World, apparently during daylight hours, to snatch and kill pets in front of their owners.In one recent Leisure World incident, a woman was indirectly injured when her dog was attacked while being walke don a leash.
Trapping opponents argue that killing coyotes will not work and will ultimately lead to an increase in the coyote populatiobn. Trapping opponents argue that hazing, that is harassment, will teach coyotes to fear humans without harming the wild animals.
Seal Beach officials first began advocating hazing as an anti-coyote measure last November. Recently, a Seal Beach press release announced that the Humane Society would provide coyote hazing training to city employees and residents.
