EL SEGUNDO HERALD March 2, 2017 Page 15 Coyote Management from front page doesn’t mean larger dogs are immune to attack,” he warned. “During breeding season, which runs from January through March and is therefore happening now, coyotes in rare cases may go after a larger dog if they feel their territory is threatened. So we recommend to use the same precautions as with small dogs during this period.” With remedies such as trapping only viable in rare situations, the City’s plan includes a major section on hazing (fear conditioning without hurting the animal) and behavioral change—given that coyotes may have become a bit too comfortable around people. Hazing employs various deterrents to discourage coyotes from approaching an area or from exhibiting undesirable behavior. Techniques include making loud noises, spraying water, shining bright lights, throwing objects, and shouting. “The idea is to train coyotes to stay away by building up their fear of humans, while at the same time not injuring them, not putting ourselves at risk and not damaging property,” explained Tavera, who added that the Police Department plans to provide free hazing training and related education to residents in the near future. Training topics will include basic coyote information, discussion on why these animals are in the city, description of normal and abnormal coyote behavior as well as seasonal changes in that regard, reality of dangers towards people versus danger towards pets, children and coyotes, effects on human behavior on coyotes, attractants, tips to deter coyotes from entering private property, appropriate response when encountering a coyote, hazing techniques and tools, and pet safety tips. Special Operations Lieutenant Jeff Leyman oversees the Animal Control Division and indicated that his primary goal is to educate the public on how best to keep coyotes away from El Segundo so as not to have to resort to trapping. “Coyotes have a relatively large hunting radius and I personally do not think the ones that come into El Segundo actually live within our city borders—but instead at times decide to come here to hunt for food,” he said. “If we make our city less attractive to the coyotes, they will choose to hunt elsewhere. If they ultimately do not live in an environment that can sustain them, they will disappear the natural way. That is the outcome I am working towards.” En route to introducing the Coyote Management Plan, Lt. Leyman attended multiple trainings, made ElSegundoTV BlueTube and Facebook videos, hosted a community gathering on the topic, and attended a meeting at the South Bay Council of Governments to discuss a regional approach to coyote management. He also helped form a citizens’ Wildlife Watch team and is currently working on warning signage for some of the parks as well as educational coloring books for kids. The Police Department has identified four tiers of responses to coyotes depending on the severity of the incident. Going from lowest to highest, Level Green refers to a coyote sighting in an area—with education and hazing the initial response. Level Yellow is when a coyote lingers around an area frequented by people and doesn’t exhibit noticeable trepidation. In this case, more aggressive hazing (including formation of a volunteer hazing team) is the recommended response. Level Orange refers to incidents when a coyote attacks or kills a domestic animal. In addition to education and aggressive hazing, the Police Department will notify the public of the situation. If multiple incidents occur in the same area in a short period, lethal removal of the animal may be recommended. The highest threat, Level Red, entails a provoked or unprovoked close encounter or attack on humans---with lethal removal of the coyote a possible result after thorough investigation of the incident. At a fall City Council meeting, Tavera reported more than 20 coyote sightings in town over the previous few months. The Police Department held its first Coyote Education Community Meeting in late November—with more outreach on the way. “This isn’t just happening in El Segundo—coyotes are all over the area,” the Chief said. “As an example, the City of Torrance recently released a comprehensive Urban Coyote Management Plan. Our department is in contact with our neighbors and we all work together to provide input and discuss strategies that can reduce the impacts of coyotes on our citizens while at the same time keeping the environment intact and not harming wildlife.” • Eagles from page 5 improvement from his freshman season and could be one of the top catchers in the Ocean League. Casillas has one of the best attitudes on the team both on and off the field and will do anything for the program. But it is a long season, so Stone and Celestial will spare Casillas when there are doubleheaders or injuries. The pitching staff is as deep as any team the Eagles have had in seasons. Besides Long, Spencer Palmer and Emery, junior right-hander Jimmy Galicia looks to have a good year. He had a breakout summer with the Legion team and has steadily gotten better ever since. Justin Ostler returns for his third year on varsity. The senior has good control and could be counted on to start or enter in a relief situation. Jarod Whitney finally gets his shot at pitching with the varsity. After an injury sidelined him his freshman year, the slow recovery has made the hard-throwing senior ready for a great season. Justin Mostert is another hard-throwing right-hander ready to take the hill for the Eagles. He’s a quiet person with a sizzling fastball. He also has a great off-speed pitch that has batters shaking their heads and talking to themselves as they make the long Spencer Long has come into his own as an infielder, pitcher and potent hitter. trek back to the dugout after striking out. Jake McDonnell is an infielder, but he showed promise in the American Legion State tournament final. The crafty right-hander was called upon when the team’s pitching staff was strained from the tournament. He limited San Mateo--the team that ended up as runners-up in the American Legion World Series. The Eagles have another challenging schedule. They’ll kick off the season by hosting Palos Verdes Friday night at 6 p.m. in the first round of the El Segundo/Stevenson Tournament and then welcoming Palisades on Saturday night at 6 p.m. The tournament semifinals are set for next Thursday, with the finals next Saturday. The Eagles will also compete in the Santa Ana Elks Invitational tournament during the Spring Break. It is one of the most comprehensive and competitive tournaments in Southern California. The Eagles will also face Hart and La Salle in the first two rounds of the Redondo Tournament This should be an exciting season and one with loads of potential for a tournament title, a league title and deep run in the CIF Southern Section Division 3 playoffs. • Spencer Palmer could be one of the most feared hitters in the South Bay and could draw a lot of walks. Jarod Whitney is a hard-throwing right-hander who could be a closer for the Eagles.
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