Seal Beach officials on June 23 said the city will update its Coyote Management Plan and emphasized resident education, targeted removal of aggressive animals and removal of attractants after a presentation by a Cal State Long Beach researcher and Seal Beach police staff.

Dr. Stankiewicz, a professor who directs the mammal lab at California State University, Long Beach, told the council coyotes have become common in urban areas and that "urban coyotes may show reduced fear of humans" when food and other attractants are available. He said typical urban densities are 0.5 to 2.5 coyotes per square mile and estimated Seal Beach could have "30 to 40 animals in the area," noting coyotes cross city boundaries.

Captain Nick Nicholas of the Seal Beach Police Department summarized how the city will apply the science. "Our current Coyote Management Plan was first adopted in 2015 and is being refined this spring with the assistance of Dr. Stankiewicz," he said. Nicholas described a three-pronged approach of education, enforcement of no-feeding laws and a tiered response that escalates only when coyote behavior becomes aggressive. He highlighted the city's new reporting portal and mobile app for residents to pin sightings so staff can map hotspots and look for den sites.

Dr. Stankiewicz recommended a mix of strategies: passive wildlife monitoring with trail cameras, targeted removal of hyper‑aggressive problem animals and community-wide hazing to re-establish fear of people. "Negative reinforcement, encouraging hazing of all coyotes to reinstate fear, not just the aggressive ones," he said, adding that removing only dominant aggressive individuals can shift the population toward less bold behavior. He cautioned that widespread lethal removal without targeting problem animals often fails because vacant territory is quickly reoccupied.

City staff said the updated plan will include outreach materials, yard-audit offers to identify attractants, and training for humane hazing techniques validated by the professor's lab. The police captain reminded residents that California Fish and Wildlife regulations restrict relocation of coyotes without state approval and reiterated that for life‑threatening attacks residents should call 911.

No council vote was required; staff said an updated plan will be published in the coming weeks and the reporting portal (sealbeachca.com/coyote) remains active for non‑emergent reporting.

The presentation included data caveats: Dr. Stankiewicz said there has been no formal coyote population study in Seal Beach and his density estimate was an extrapolation from typical urban densities and city geography.

City staff and the researcher encouraged residents to remove attractants, keep small pets indoors or secured and to report aggressive interactions through the portal so officers can prioritize response and, when necessary, seek state approval for removal of specific problem animals.