While it may seem out of place, coyotes have been seen around campus, and their presence is not being taken lightly.
There have been reports of coyote sightings near the College of Business Administration, Brotman Hall, the Horn Center, Bouton Creek and one sighting on Atherton Street, according to Toni Beron, Cal State Long Beach’s vice president of university relations.
Facilities management employees working in the off-hours were the first to report the sightings, however, there is no formal list of how many coyotes have been seen so far. On July 3, campus-wide e-mail was sent to students, faculty and staff informing them to exercise caution, as a coyote’s behavior is difficult to predict.
“[Since the e-mail] we are hearing from more people that they have seen a coyote on campus and we’re getting more reports,” Beron said. It is still unknown whether there are multiple coyotes coming onto campus or if it is just one because each sighting involved only one coyote, according to Beron.
If a coyote is found, “It will be euthanized whether it is on our campus or anywhere else,” Beron said. Long Beach Dept. of Fish and Game and Animal Control Services have both been contacted, according to Paul Browning, CSULB’s assistant director of media relations. Beron said this is the first time she has heard of coyote sightings around the area.
Long Beach’s 4th District Councilmember Patrick O’Donnell said he and his family have seen coyotes throughout the city of Long Beach on several occasions. “Sightings do tend to increase in the summer months as mothers try to forage for food for their pups,” O’Donnell said.
Coyotes would have two reasons to come to campus, the small animal population, such as the feral cats and rabbits that take residence on campus, and open trash containers. “It would make sense that they’re feeding on the feral cats,” Beron said. “It’s a sad situation, but that’s the nature of a coyote.”
As far as trash on campus, a professional analysis was done to check the cleanliness of the campus. “This is a particularly clean campus,” Beron said. “Trash is not an issue.” Beron does not believe that recent coyote sightings will have any impact on attendance. Tyler Dinley, a junior communications major, said the recent sightings have not affected his school attendance. “The school is big, so the chances of me encountering a coyote are probably unlikely,” Dinley said.
It is asked that any sightings be immediately reported to the University Police at (562) 985-4101 or Facilities Management at (562) 985-4357.
If a coyote is encountered, the California Department of Fish and Game website suggests making loud noises and if this fails throw rocks in the general direction of the coyote. Fish and Game also suggests, if living near campus, to keep any trash securely closed at all times, keep domesticated pets and their food inside at night and cover compost piles.
For any additional information about coyotes and how to keep them away from your house, visit the California Department of Fish and Game website atwww.dfg.ca.gov/keepmewild /coyote.html.