‘Coyote Lady’ passes away at 104 years old
Lila Brooks, a Glendale resident who founded an organization called California Wildlife Defenders, died on Dec. 1. She was 104 years old.
About four decades ago, Brooks advocated for water pools to be installed for coyotes in Los Angeles area mountains and canyons.
She also called for banning the use of steel-jawed leg traps for coyotes and participated in anti-fur marches.
In 1976, her advocacy for the humane treatment of animals won her the St. Francis of Assisi Award from the city of Los Angeles.
Known as the “Coyote Lady,” she was sometimes seen with a stuffed coyote with a steel-jawed leg trap clamped on its feet.
“I went with that coyote everywhere to demonstrate how cruel that trap was,” she said during an interview in 2016 when she turned 103.
In 1981, following Brooks’ suggestion, Glendale officials enacted a city ordinance prohibiting residents from feeding coyotes, which some Glendale residents often did then.
City officials also installed water pools in hills near Glendale at Brooks’ suggestion to help detract coyotes away from residential areas.
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