Coyote Kill Quashed in California

In January, the City Council of Arcadia, California voted unanimously to cancel a contract with a private wildlife removal firm to snare and kill coyotes within the city. Public outcry against the contract—which cost the city $30,000 a year and resulted in the death of 20 coyotes—prompted the council to hold a special “study session” and, ultimately, to terminate the program.

Prior to the decision, local residents gathered signatures calling on the council to end the contract and instead adopt a long-term coexistence and management plan such as those successfully implemented in Marin County, CA, Denver, CO, and Vancouver, BC. Says AWI wildlife consultant and Project Coyote executive director, Camilla Fox: “We commend the City Council for making the right decision to stop a coyote snaring program that is ultimately ineffective, ecologically unsound, and ethically unjust. We have offered our services and resources to the City to help them move forward with a long-term proactive public outreach program to inform residents about how to coexist with coyotes and other urban wildlife and reduce negative encounters.”