Even before another half-hour of impassioned pleas and some scolding from audience members tonight at the Arcadia City Council meeting (Jan. 18), the Council had already clearly decided to end its program of trapping coyotes in the city, which resulted in the trapped animals being hauled away and killed.
by Scott Hettrick
But that didn’t stop attendees from venting their frustration anyway, not only about the coyotes, but about last week’s removal of a couple hundred trees, which several people tied to the coyote issue by saying there would likely be more coyotes and other wildlife now that their habitat was destroyed. Several indicated the two situations have resulted in Arcadia being embarrassed in the media. Embarrassed? I’ll take that over media reports of a child being attacked or killed by a coyote, or even more pets being mauled and mutilated, which sparked the calls to the city that prompted the action in the first place. And not all of them were overnight or pets wandering off the property of owners or in yards not properly safeguarded against coyotes. I’ll also take that over parents so fearful of coyotes that they can no longer feel safe walking in their neighborhoods with children or pets.
Certainly education is important and no doubt many attacks can be prevented by responsible behavior, and opponents of the trapping are surely correct in warning that killing coyotes will only increase the population of even stronger coyotes in the area. But it was disappointing that trapping opponents did not seem to understand that City leaders’ primary responsibility is to human residents, and that they must ensure that they have done everything to prevent even one attack on a child. Not most attacks, but any attack. That has to take priority over a coyote. Opponents of trapping could not guarantee that their safety precautions would prevent an attack on a child or pet out for a walk in broad daylight. And they would not be the ones held responsible for the life of an animal or child. So it would be nice if opponents would show a little understanding for the position of City leaders in this situation before they get so wound up and spew such vitriol.
A report from the City and comments from Councilmen indicated that only two coyotes were trapped in December, down significantly since 18 had been killed collectively over the previous couple of months after the program began. The 20 coyotes trapped and killed so far have cost the City and taxpayers $12,500.
Calls from residents and business complaining about coyotes have also dropped from 20 per week to five per week. The City said its ongoing education through quarterly city newsletters, monthly literature with city bills, and on the City’s cable TV channel to help residents learn how to co-exist with wildlife by taking safety precautions would continue indefinitely. No doubt all of this was fueled at least in part by the increased attention brought to this situation in recent weeks by opponents of trapping, and that is for everyone’s good.
After a half-hour of comments from young girls, parents, animal rights activists, and other residents of Arcadia and concerned advocates from Victorville and elsewhere, the Council voted unanimously to end the trapping program at the end of the month. That sparked cheers of joy and jubilation from the dozens of people in the audience, some of whom have made multiple appearances and pleas to the Council over the last few months, which has been the site of tribal dances by Native Americans and impassioned pleas by advocates from the Sierra Club and other organizations who live nowhere near Arcadia.
Maybe now that the trapping has ended, those who are serious about working on a better solution for the future — this will surely come up again — will sit down with city staff without any showboating or rhetoric and offer an alternative that will meet the responsibilities and desires of all concerned.
— By Scott Hettrick