Coyotes are becoming a common sight in Santa Clarita neighborhoods — and experts say the reason can be traced back to last year’s wildfires.
When flames tore through local canyons, they destroyed acres of natural habitat. Now, animals that once lived deep in the hills are showing up in suburban streets — searching for food, water, and safety.
“When the wildfires occur, they burn a lot of land. It burns a lot of vegetation that their prey animals might eat,” said Frank Hoffman, Placerita Nature Center Supervisor.
“Coyotes are a very important part of the community. Of course, they’ve been around for thousands of years. We’ve kind of encroached on their habitat, on their territories. We’re actually taking over their traditional lands, so they’re spreading out. They’re wanderers to begin with, in order to find their basic needs,” said Hoffman.
Coyotes aren’t becoming more aggressive — just more visible. Ranger Frank says, education and prevention are key to keeping both people and wildlife safe.
“A lot of people get scared when they’re walking their dogs or walking on the trails and their eating or whatever. The coyotes follow them because they smell it. People freak and ‘oh here take my food,’ you know they give them their food, and that coyote starts to associate people with food again, and that’s part of their challenge,” said Hoffman.
“You just have to be coyote smart. Be aware of your surroundings, know what to do and what not to do, don’t run from a coyote if you see one, make as much noise as you can. Bang pots and pans, clap, blow a whistle, do whatever you need to do to distract that coyote and make him think you are in potential harm,” said Hoffman.
While coyotes may seem closer than ever, they’re adaptive to survive. As Santa Clarita continues to rebuild from wildfires, it’s up to the community to stay alert and maintain a safe coexistence.
