城市里也有郊狼# Animals - 动物园
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Coyote's deadly attack on cat spurs concern in Torrance neighborhood
Awakened at 4 a.m. Thursday by the family dogs barking, Steven Rime figured
it was one of the usual triggers -- a skunk or opossum or raccoon passing
through the neighborhood on the border of Torrance and Redondo Beach.
"Living in the (Hollywood) Riviera we end up with varmints of all kinds,"
Rimes said. "But my wife looks outside and on our front lawn we have a gray
coyote of about 80 to 100 pounds -- big ears -- eating the neighbor's cat."
Rime, who owns Keller Williams Realty Los Angeles South Bay and lives in the
lower section of Hollywood Riviera near Pacific Coast Highway and Prospect
Avenue, watched in horror as the animal enjoyed its predawn meal.
"He didn't eat a small cat, he ate the fattest cat on the block. That cat
had to weigh 15-20 pounds," he said. "The disturbing part was listening to
the crunch of the bones. That wolf ate everything."
But not quite everything -- Rime was left with some cleanup to do in the
morning after he broke the news to his neighbors.
Tempted to grab his son's baseball bat as the grisly scene unfolded outside
his house, he said he reconsidered as he took note of the animal's size.
"He was probably 3 feet tall to the ears," he said. "He looked very stout."
It's the latest of what have been periodic coyote sightings throughout the
South Bay in recent years.
The wild scavengers -- known also as the American jackal, brush wolf or
prairie wolf -- are indigenous to the West and, for the most part, pose no
threat to human beings.
But their presence has unnerved residents in several local communities,
including Carson and San Pedro, where they've most often preyed on feral
cats and household pets, sometimes scaling tall backyard fences in search of
food. Coyotes also attacked goats kept for weed control some years ago on
vacant parcels between Western Avenue and North Gaffey Street in San Pedro.
In 2008, two coyotes reportedly killed a cat during the early morning hours
near Pacific Coast Highway off Crenshaw Boulevard in south Torrance. "This
is a first for Torrance," Torrance animal control administrator Patrick Wren
said at the time in a Sept. 10, 2008, article in the Daily Breeze.
While coyote sightings since then have been reported in Torrance, they're
not particularly common, said David LaPlante, supervisor for Torrance Animal
Control. Most of the coyotes probably come from the hillsides that border
Torrance and the Palos Verdes Peninsula, he said.
"We infrequently get calls about coyotes," LaPlante said. "They live here
and they come in and out of the city. ... Train tracks that go through the
city are a great (coyote travel) corridor, and we've had reports (of coyotes
) at Madrona and Maple where they have horse stables and train tracks. But
it's infrequent, we only get calls a few times a year.
"They're hungry and they're looking for (food)," LaPlante said, noting the
animals come out at night, and tend to be quiet. "Unfortunately, most cats
are outdoor cats and are easy prey."
There has never been a report of a coyote attack on a human in the city, he
said, although a 2-year-old girl was bitten twice by a coyote on July 18 at
Forest Lawn Cemetery in Cypress some 25 miles away.
In a research paper presented at the 69th North American Wildlife and
Natural Resources Conference in 2004, several university wildlife
researchers reported that coyote attacks on humans were increasing.
"Coyotes inhabiting (Southern California) wildlands are drawn into suburban
landscaped environments that can support an abundance of rodents and rabbits
, and where they can utilize water sources, pet food, household refuse and
even house cats and small dogs as prey," they wrote in the report titled "
Coyote Attacks: An Increasing Suburban Problem."
"Our observations indicate that in the absence of harassment by residents,
coyotes can lose their fear of people and come to associate humans with this
safe, resource-rich environment. This problem is exacerbated by people who
intentionally feed coyotes," the report states. "In such situations, some
coyotes have begun to act aggressively toward humans, chasing joggers and
bicyclists, confronting people walking their dogs, and stalking small
children."
By Donna Littlejohn, Staff Writer
Posted: 07/31/13, 9:00 PM PDT |
Awakened at 4 a.m. Thursday by the family dogs barking, Steven Rime figured
it was one of the usual triggers -- a skunk or opossum or raccoon passing
through the neighborhood on the border of Torrance and Redondo Beach.
"Living in the (Hollywood) Riviera we end up with varmints of all kinds,"
Rimes said. "But my wife looks outside and on our front lawn we have a gray
coyote of about 80 to 100 pounds -- big ears -- eating the neighbor's cat."
Rime, who owns Keller Williams Realty Los Angeles South Bay and lives in the
lower section of Hollywood Riviera near Pacific Coast Highway and Prospect
Avenue, watched in horror as the animal enjoyed its predawn meal.
"He didn't eat a small cat, he ate the fattest cat on the block. That cat
had to weigh 15-20 pounds," he said. "The disturbing part was listening to
the crunch of the bones. That wolf ate everything."
But not quite everything -- Rime was left with some cleanup to do in the
morning after he broke the news to his neighbors.
Tempted to grab his son's baseball bat as the grisly scene unfolded outside
his house, he said he reconsidered as he took note of the animal's size.
"He was probably 3 feet tall to the ears," he said. "He looked very stout."
It's the latest of what have been periodic coyote sightings throughout the
South Bay in recent years.
The wild scavengers -- known also as the American jackal, brush wolf or
prairie wolf -- are indigenous to the West and, for the most part, pose no
threat to human beings.
But their presence has unnerved residents in several local communities,
including Carson and San Pedro, where they've most often preyed on feral
cats and household pets, sometimes scaling tall backyard fences in search of
food. Coyotes also attacked goats kept for weed control some years ago on
vacant parcels between Western Avenue and North Gaffey Street in San Pedro.
In 2008, two coyotes reportedly killed a cat during the early morning hours
near Pacific Coast Highway off Crenshaw Boulevard in south Torrance. "This
is a first for Torrance," Torrance animal control administrator Patrick Wren
said at the time in a Sept. 10, 2008, article in the Daily Breeze.
While coyote sightings since then have been reported in Torrance, they're
not particularly common, said David LaPlante, supervisor for Torrance Animal
Control. Most of the coyotes probably come from the hillsides that border
Torrance and the Palos Verdes Peninsula, he said.
"We infrequently get calls about coyotes," LaPlante said. "They live here
and they come in and out of the city. ... Train tracks that go through the
city are a great (coyote travel) corridor, and we've had reports (of coyotes
) at Madrona and Maple where they have horse stables and train tracks. But
it's infrequent, we only get calls a few times a year.
"They're hungry and they're looking for (food)," LaPlante said, noting the
animals come out at night, and tend to be quiet. "Unfortunately, most cats
are outdoor cats and are easy prey."
There has never been a report of a coyote attack on a human in the city, he
said, although a 2-year-old girl was bitten twice by a coyote on July 18 at
Forest Lawn Cemetery in Cypress some 25 miles away.
In a research paper presented at the 69th North American Wildlife and
Natural Resources Conference in 2004, several university wildlife
researchers reported that coyote attacks on humans were increasing.
"Coyotes inhabiting (Southern California) wildlands are drawn into suburban
landscaped environments that can support an abundance of rodents and rabbits
, and where they can utilize water sources, pet food, household refuse and
even house cats and small dogs as prey," they wrote in the report titled "
Coyote Attacks: An Increasing Suburban Problem."
"Our observations indicate that in the absence of harassment by residents,
coyotes can lose their fear of people and come to associate humans with this
safe, resource-rich environment. This problem is exacerbated by people who
intentionally feed coyotes," the report states. "In such situations, some
coyotes have begun to act aggressively toward humans, chasing joggers and
bicyclists, confronting people walking their dogs, and stalking small
children."
Attacks on humans, the report says, appeared to begin in the late 1970s.
The animals also can pose a health risk.
But wildlife groups such as Project Coyote argue that America's native wild
"song dog" is a vital part of both rural and urban environments and that
safe coexistence with people should always be the goal of dealing with
nature.
Rime reported the coyote incident Thursday to the police and animal control
but was told Torrance also follows the policy of educating the public.
Websites provide such tips as keeping pets indoors, especially at night, and
never leaving food or water outside.
Cats are a common meal for coyotes, but small dogs also are at risk. And
there can be territorial disputes between coyotes and large dogs defending
their properties.
Rime said his wife was told by one city official that "groups" of coyotes
have been spotted as far inside Torrance city limits as near the busy
intersection of Sepulveda Boulevard and Anza Avenue.
"I'm concerned," Rime said, noting that he's noticed a number of "missing
cat" posters in his neighborhood recently. "Any coyotes running wild through
the streets is not a good thing" for pets or children.
"The problem is that there are more and more people and less space for the
wildlife, so there's always going to be a conflict," LaPlante said.
d**************[email protected]
Coyote's deadly attack on cat spurs concern in Torrance neighborhood
Awakened at 4 a.m. Thursday by the family dogs barking, Steven Rime figured
it was one of the usual triggers -- a skunk or opossum or raccoon passing
through the neighborhood on the border of Torrance and Redondo Beach.
"Living in the (Hollywood) Riviera we end up with varmints of all kinds,"
Rimes said. "But my wife looks outside and on our front lawn we have a gray
coyote of about 80 to 100 pounds -- big ears -- eating the neighbor's cat."
Rime, who owns Keller Williams Realty Los Angeles South Bay and lives in the
lower section of Hollywood Riviera near Pacific Coast Highway and Prospect
Avenue, watched in horror as the animal enjoyed its predawn meal.
"He didn't eat a small cat, he ate the fattest cat on the block. That cat
had to weigh 15-20 pounds," he said. "The disturbing part was listening to
the crunch of the bones. That wolf ate everything."
But not quite everything -- Rime was left with some cleanup to do in the
morning after he broke the news to his neighbors.
Tempted to grab his son's baseball bat as the grisly scene unfolded outside
his house, he said he reconsidered as he took note of the animal's size.
"He was probably 3 feet tall to the ears," he said. "He looked very stout."
It's the latest of what have been periodic coyote sightings throughout the
South Bay in recent years.
The wild scavengers -- known also as the American jackal, brush wolf or
prairie wolf -- are indigenous to the West and, for the most part, pose no
threat to human beings.
But their presence has unnerved residents in several local communities,
including Carson and San Pedro, where they've most often preyed on feral
cats and household pets, sometimes scaling tall backyard fences in search of
food. Coyotes also attacked goats kept for weed control some years ago on
vacant parcels between Western Avenue and North Gaffey Street in San Pedro.
In 2008, two coyotes reportedly killed a cat during the early morning hours
near Pacific Coast Highway off Crenshaw Boulevard in south Torrance. "This
is a first for Torrance," Torrance animal control administrator Patrick Wren
said at the time in a Sept. 10, 2008, article in the Daily Breeze.
While coyote sightings since then have been reported in Torrance, they're
not particularly common, said David LaPlante, supervisor for Torrance Animal
Control. Most of the coyotes probably come from the hillsides that border
Torrance and the Palos Verdes Peninsula, he said.
"We infrequently get calls about coyotes," LaPlante said. "They live here
and they come in and out of the city. ... Train tracks that go through the
city are a great (coyote travel) corridor, and we've had reports (of coyotes
) at Madrona and Maple where they have horse stables and train tracks. But
it's infrequent, we only get calls a few times a year.
"They're hungry and they're looking for (food)," LaPlante said, noting the
animals come out at night, and tend to be quiet. "Unfortunately, most cats
are outdoor cats and are easy prey."
There has never been a report of a coyote attack on a human in the city, he
said, although a 2-year-old girl was bitten twice by a coyote on July 18 at
Forest Lawn Cemetery in Cypress some 25 miles away.
In a research paper presented at the 69th North American Wildlife and
Natural Resources Conference in 2004, several university wildlife
researchers reported that coyote attacks on humans were increasing.
"Coyotes inhabiting (Southern California) wildlands are drawn into suburban
landscaped environments that can support an abundance of rodents and rabbits
, and where they can utilize water sources, pet food, household refuse and
even house cats and small dogs as prey," they wrote in the report titled "
Coyote Attacks: An Increasing Suburban Problem."
"Our observations indicate that in the absence of harassment by residents,
coyotes can lose their fear of people and come to associate humans with this
safe, resource-rich environment. This problem is exacerbated by people who
intentionally feed coyotes," the report states. "In such situations, some
coyotes have begun to act aggressively toward humans, chasing joggers and
bicyclists, confronting people walking their dogs, and stalking small
children."
By Donna Littlejohn, Staff Writer
Posted: 07/31/13, 9:00 PM PDT |
Awakened at 4 a.m. Thursday by the family dogs barking, Steven Rime figured
it was one of the usual triggers -- a skunk or opossum or raccoon passing
through the neighborhood on the border of Torrance and Redondo Beach.
"Living in the (Hollywood) Riviera we end up with varmints of all kinds,"
Rimes said. "But my wife looks outside and on our front lawn we have a gray
coyote of about 80 to 100 pounds -- big ears -- eating the neighbor's cat."
Rime, who owns Keller Williams Realty Los Angeles South Bay and lives in the
lower section of Hollywood Riviera near Pacific Coast Highway and Prospect
Avenue, watched in horror as the animal enjoyed its predawn meal.
"He didn't eat a small cat, he ate the fattest cat on the block. That cat
had to weigh 15-20 pounds," he said. "The disturbing part was listening to
the crunch of the bones. That wolf ate everything."
But not quite everything -- Rime was left with some cleanup to do in the
morning after he broke the news to his neighbors.
Tempted to grab his son's baseball bat as the grisly scene unfolded outside
his house, he said he reconsidered as he took note of the animal's size.
"He was probably 3 feet tall to the ears," he said. "He looked very stout."
It's the latest of what have been periodic coyote sightings throughout the
South Bay in recent years.
The wild scavengers -- known also as the American jackal, brush wolf or
prairie wolf -- are indigenous to the West and, for the most part, pose no
threat to human beings.
But their presence has unnerved residents in several local communities,
including Carson and San Pedro, where they've most often preyed on feral
cats and household pets, sometimes scaling tall backyard fences in search of
food. Coyotes also attacked goats kept for weed control some years ago on
vacant parcels between Western Avenue and North Gaffey Street in San Pedro.
In 2008, two coyotes reportedly killed a cat during the early morning hours
near Pacific Coast Highway off Crenshaw Boulevard in south Torrance. "This
is a first for Torrance," Torrance animal control administrator Patrick Wren
said at the time in a Sept. 10, 2008, article in the Daily Breeze.
While coyote sightings since then have been reported in Torrance, they're
not particularly common, said David LaPlante, supervisor for Torrance Animal
Control. Most of the coyotes probably come from the hillsides that border
Torrance and the Palos Verdes Peninsula, he said.
"We infrequently get calls about coyotes," LaPlante said. "They live here
and they come in and out of the city. ... Train tracks that go through the
city are a great (coyote travel) corridor, and we've had reports (of coyotes
) at Madrona and Maple where they have horse stables and train tracks. But
it's infrequent, we only get calls a few times a year.
"They're hungry and they're looking for (food)," LaPlante said, noting the
animals come out at night, and tend to be quiet. "Unfortunately, most cats
are outdoor cats and are easy prey."
There has never been a report of a coyote attack on a human in the city, he
said, although a 2-year-old girl was bitten twice by a coyote on July 18 at
Forest Lawn Cemetery in Cypress some 25 miles away.
In a research paper presented at the 69th North American Wildlife and
Natural Resources Conference in 2004, several university wildlife
researchers reported that coyote attacks on humans were increasing.
"Coyotes inhabiting (Southern California) wildlands are drawn into suburban
landscaped environments that can support an abundance of rodents and rabbits
, and where they can utilize water sources, pet food, household refuse and
even house cats and small dogs as prey," they wrote in the report titled "
Coyote Attacks: An Increasing Suburban Problem."
"Our observations indicate that in the absence of harassment by residents,
coyotes can lose their fear of people and come to associate humans with this
safe, resource-rich environment. This problem is exacerbated by people who
intentionally feed coyotes," the report states. "In such situations, some
coyotes have begun to act aggressively toward humans, chasing joggers and
bicyclists, confronting people walking their dogs, and stalking small
children."
Attacks on humans, the report says, appeared to begin in the late 1970s.
The animals also can pose a health risk.
But wildlife groups such as Project Coyote argue that America's native wild
"song dog" is a vital part of both rural and urban environments and that
safe coexistence with people should always be the goal of dealing with
nature.
Rime reported the coyote incident Thursday to the police and animal control
but was told Torrance also follows the policy of educating the public.
Websites provide such tips as keeping pets indoors, especially at night, and
never leaving food or water outside.
Cats are a common meal for coyotes, but small dogs also are at risk. And
there can be territorial disputes between coyotes and large dogs defending
their properties.
Rime said his wife was told by one city official that "groups" of coyotes
have been spotted as far inside Torrance city limits as near the busy
intersection of Sepulveda Boulevard and Anza Avenue.
"I'm concerned," Rime said, noting that he's noticed a number of "missing
cat" posters in his neighborhood recently. "Any coyotes running wild through
the streets is not a good thing" for pets or children.
"The problem is that there are more and more people and less space for the
wildlife, so there's always going to be a conflict," LaPlante said.
d**************[email protected]
