Distressed Coyote In Echo Park Poses Challenge For Community

ECHO PARK, CA — A coyote in Echo Park has neighbors worried, but not for the usual reasons. The wild animal has a dog toy stuck in its mouth and has been wandering through the community for the last week desperately trying to get it out. The animal is unable to eat with the giant rubber toy jammed into its jaws, and it’s been wandering through yards searching for relief.

Typically, coyotes in the neighborhood are a nuisance, but this suffering animal is really tugging at heartstrings, resident George Scheideman told KTLA. Scheideman, shot video of the coyote trying to drink water in his backyard despite being unable to close his mouth.

"It broke my heart," said Scheideman. "This time, I was just really concerned for it."
Several neighbors have noticed the animal, but no one has been able to help it. Animal control officials haven’t caught up with it either.

"He had this red object in his mouth," Scheideman told ABC. "I thought he was just carrying it around. I looked more closely. He was trying to get it off, couldn't get it off. Looked very uncomfortable."

Urban coyotes have been flourishing in Los Angeles in recently year. In 2015, researchers tagged a mother and pups living in the downtown area. Culver City officials recently approved a $210,000 coyote management program after nearly 40 pet cats or dogs were reportedly eaten within a month span, and Echo Park and Silver Lake arefamous for their struggles with coyotes.

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Tips and Tools for Keeping Coyotes Wild

Project Coyote, a California-based organization that promotes peaceful coexistence with coyotes, and the Humane Society of the United States offer this advice on how to discourage coyotes from coming into urban areas:

1. Do not feed coyotes.
2. Keep your pet on a leash.
3. Supervise small pets and children, and keep your cats indoors.
4. If you have dogs that spend time in your fenced yard, you may want to invest in a Coyote Roller, a device that attaches to the top of a fence to stop coyote paws from getting a grip. Also, adding 6 inches of wire mesh to the bottom of your fence should deter coyotes from digging underneath.
5. Keep garbage, compost and pet food out of reach. Make sure your garbage can lids are on tight, and feed your cats and dogs indoors.
6. If faced with a coyote, act big and loud—shake a can of pennies, blow a whistle, wave your arms above your head. Such actions will reinforce their fear of humans, which is good for us and them.