Coyotes worry residents far from Back Bay

Deepa Bharath

NEWPORT BEACH -- Coyotes are a problem once again, this time in a

neighborhood far away from their natural local habitat, the Back Bay.

Residents on San Bernardino Avenue, a street that adjoins Cliff Park

by Cliff Drive, say they are afraid their pets or even children are going

to be victims of coyotes that have been spotted frequently in the park or

on the street over the last few weeks.

Residents no longer feel safe taking their children to the park, said

Dorothy Vogel, who spoke on behalf of her neighbors on San Bernardino

Avenue.

“Coyotes have been seen in the late afternoon -- as late as 4 p.m.,”

she said. “They’ve been seen roaming our streets at 10 p.m. And one of my

neighbors and her pet got chased by a coyote at 5:30 in the morning.”

Vogel said she understands the coyotes live in the Back Bay, but she

does not understand why they are present in her neighborhood that is

miles away from that natural habitat.

“All we’re asking is take the coyotes back to the Back Bay where they

belong,” she said. “We’re asking the city not to wait till somebody gets

hurt.”

But the city has always admitted coyotes to be a problem nothing much

can be done about, said City Manager Homer Bludau.

“We cannot trap or poison them unless they pose a definite danger to

public safety,” he said. “We’re very restricted in what we can do about

the problem.”

Coyotes are animals that have adapted very well to wild as well as

urban areas, Bludau said. City officials have said in the past that

almost no neighborhood in the city is immune from these creatures that

are notorious for attacking small pets.

“People need to realize there is a risk in this city and [they need

to] protect their pets,” Bludau said. “This is something that’s going to

be a continuing problem for the city.”