3 Snared in Oceanside : Official Warns Against Coyote Attack Panic

Three coyotes have been snared in steel-clamp traps set on the outskirts of Oceanside after reports last week that the wily animals had made bold forays into the city and, in one case, attacked a 3-year-old girl.

“It’s important that this does not get whipped into countywide hysteria,” said Peter Butchko, a U.S. Department of Agriculture official who is supervising the coyote trapping.

“Not every coyote is a killer of people, but that doesn’t mean people shouldn’t take precautions. For example, bringing in pet food at night and securing your garbage are simple ways of not attracting coyotes,” Butchko said Wednesday in an interview after an Oceanside City Council meeting.

As head of the USDA animal damage control unit for San Diego County, Butchko is responsible for limiting wild-animal attacks against agricultural resources, property and people.

In a joint operation, funded equally by the county and the federal government, the unit spends $60,000 annually to keep coyotes and other animals under control.

Animals to Be Destroyed

Nearly 10 steel-clamp traps have been placed on the fringes of the city, where trappers believe the coyotes are staying before venturing into settled areas in search of food. Coyotes caught in the traps will be destroyed and examined by the county veterinarian for signs of disease. Butchko said he does not know how long the trapping will continue.

In the past three weeks, the animal control unit has received 35 calls from Oceanside residents reporting that coyotes have attacked and killed their pets and, in some cases, confronted people, Butchko said.

Community concern escalated when 3-year-old Jessica Lee was bitten last Thursday. While the girl was playing outside her grandfather’s home in Hermosa, an Oceanside neighborhood, a coyote boldly dashed down the street and attacked her.

Neighbors came to her rescue before serious harm was done, but the youngster was left with teeth marks on her head, neck and leg. Butchko said two other young children were also confronted by a coyote the same day.

Sightings of coyotes have been reported recently from many areas--including Rancho Bernardo, Poway, Carlsbad, La Jolla and San Diego--but the unusually aggressive nature of the coyotes spotted in Oceanside spurred the animal-control unit to set the traps, Butchko said.

It is unknown why the normally wary and cautious coyotes have become so bold. Experts speculate that adult coyotes may be teaching pups how to hunt, or have grown so accustomed to people that they are slowly losing their fear of people. The trappers believe that the reported attacks have been conducted by one, possibly distempered coyote.

Contrary to popular belief, the spring-operated traps do not have “metal teeth,” Butchko said. Some people have complained that the traps are cruel and have opposed their use to capture coyotes. Butchko readily concedes that the traps often catch more than coyotes--ranchers’ dogs and other pets have been snared--but says it is the most effective method.

“We have caught ranchers’ dogs before,” Butchko said. “The dogs probably get a swollen foot, but otherwise they’re fine. We always try to find more attractive means, but if there are no alternatives, the question of how humane the trap is becomes a moot point.”

He dismissed the possibility of using cage traps. “The coyotes are simply too smart to go in them,” he said.

“We think they’re doing everything they can to get these animals under control,” said Oceanside City Manager Ronald Bradley. He said the council is tentatively considering passing an anti-feeding ordinance to provide less incentive for the coyotes to enter city limits.

Although Butchko approved of such an ordinance, he questioned whether it could be enforced.

“If someone really wants to feed a coyote, he can do so discreetly in the middle of the night,” Butchko said.