Inland Valley Humane Society urges nonlethal steps as coyotes appear more in Baldwin Park

Nicole Brasciani, president and CEO of the Inland Valley Humane Society & SPCA, told the Baldwin Park City Council on Aug. 5 that coyotes have become more urbanized and are appearing in neighborhoods throughout the year.

"Coyotes are an opportunistic omnivore, which means they will pretty much eat whatever they come in contact with," Brasciani said, explaining that food, water and shelter draw coyotes into residential areas. She recommended practical deterrents — securing trash and compost, removing fallen fruit, pruning overgrown yards and using motion‑sensor lights or sprinklers — and advised residents to "haze" animals that become comfortable around people.

Brasciani told the council that removing or relocating coyotes often has unintended consequences. "When you remove coyotes, it creates more issues long term," she said, describing research and local experience showing lethal control can disrupt family groups and encourage higher reproduction or migration by other coyotes. She added that California Department of Fish and Wildlife typically intervenes only when there is a human bite and that local agencies sometimes must euthanize animals deemed a public‑safety hazard.

Council members thanked Brasciani and asked staff to make educational materials available to schools and on the city website; Brasciani said she had left literature at the back of the chamber and offered to provide more to the city clerk. The presentation closed with a reminder to report denning or aggressive human encounters to authorities rather than attempting informal treatment or poisoning.