Multiple sightings of a coyote have been reported on campus near the Annenberg School for Communication building and Bing Theatre, leading students to be more cautious and aware of their surroundings.
Nicole Bednar, a student at Annenberg, said she saw the coyote on different occasions on the same night. Bednar said she initially wasn’t worried, but that changed when the coyote started following her. She said that the coyote lunged at her, which she assumed was because it was hungry.
“I wasn’t worried at first when it was only stalking us, but then it was a shock after it had tried to attack,” Bednar said. “When we first saw it, I just pointed it out and casually kept looking back to see it follow us.”
Although Bednar she that she lives near coyotes in her hometown, this incident was a first for her.
David Carlisle, the Department of Public Safety assistant chief, wrote in a statement to Annenberg Media on Monday that DPS has received several reports about a coyote near the center of campus.
Carlisle said that, according to the County of Los Angeles, simply seeing a coyote is not usually a problem as long as the coyote keeps its distance. Making loud noises will often scare the coyote away.
“If a coyote becomes aggressive, animal experts recommend that you do not run,” Carlisle said. “If a student encounters an aggressive coyote on campus, they should call the DPS emergency number, (213) 740 - 4321, or report the situation to DPS using the free mobile safety app LiveSafe.”
When she felt the coyote come closer, Bednar said she attempted to scare it off by making herself look big and making noises.
Camilla Fox is the founder and executive director of Project Coyote, a national organization under the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Earth Island Institute. She said that most of the time, coyotes don’t want anything to do with humans. However, Fox explained that when coyotes are fed by humans, they can lose their weariness and caution.
“This is why we emphasize as an organization the need to not feed wild coyotes or other wildlife to avoid that habituation, as a habituated coyote can be more prone to conflicts with humans and domestic dogs,” Fox said.
Carlisle and Fox both said that coyotes are intelligent creatures who live in a wide range of habitats. Fox also said coyotes will not overstep their boundaries.
“If there is adequate food and habitat, they will not exceed that biological carrying capacity, and if we don’t exploit their populations with trapping, poisoning and indiscriminate lethal control, they will maintain their territories,” Fox said.
Fox also said that every major urban center in the U.S. has some sort of a coyote population. Coyotes are the most adaptable, resilient, wild carnivores in the country, according to Fox.
“USC should definitely call fish and wildlife to get it relocated,” Bednar said.
Despite Bednar’s feelings about the coyotes, it is illegal to relocate coyotes or other wild species in California.
“Increase signage around the campus that focuses on coyote behaviors,” Fox said. “Have one specific sign focused on not feeding wildlife.”
Benjamin Gamson contributed to this story.