Over the past few weeks, Rotary Park attendees have experienced sightings and encounters with coyotes in the area.
These encounters resulted in a temporary shutdown of the park located at Barstow and Villa, followed by it reopening about one week later.
Now due to continued coyote activity in the area of the park, it will remain closed until further notice. The coyote was first spotted in the area in June and has continued to make appearances. As a result, out of caution for the safety of all those who enjoy time in our parks, Rotary Park will be closed while we continue to monitor the situation.
The gates still hold signs warning of coyotes being present in the park. The city of Clovis has set up traps throughout the park, but the coyotes are still suspected to be in the area.
Eric Aller, Parks Manager for the city of Clovis has been in communication with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Together they decided it was best to have the temporary shut down to assess the situation at Rotary.
Now he believes it is safe to enter the park as long as the public is aware of the presence of the wildlife species.
Aller said the incidents with coyotes in the area are out of the ordinary. “It’s a new thing for us,” said Aller. “We’re not used to it. A lot of communities, especially down in Los Angeles that are up against the foothills, have a lot of coyotes in their communities. But this is kinda new for us and new for Clovis.”
Rajae Rader is a mother living in Clovis and said she encountered the wild animal while on a walk with her family earlier this month near the Pacific Grove Apartment Complex.
“My son made a loud cry and all of a sudden when I turned around a coyote came running toward us,” said Rader.
Rader’s father-in-law had a flashlight with a strobing capability and used it to ward off the coyote.
“I had my brother in law grab my son and we had a flashing light so we flashed that and slowly backed away and we yelled at it and it ran away,” said Rader.
The incident has left the Clovis mother worried about her family and the safety of her 1 year old son. “Definitely nervous to take my son out, I will not be walking with him to take out my trash at night for sure,” said Rader.
Rader was not the only one who experienced an encounter with the wild animal. Hailie Jepsen was on her routine walk at Rotary Park with her 8 month old Shi Tzu, Beau when she saw the coyote approach her dog.
“Right when the coyote and I made eye contact he bolted towards Beau,” said Jepsen.
“I just ran at the coyote, I was screaming and trying to wave my hands. This coyote takes another lunge and it grabs Beau but luckily just by the harness, it tries yanking him off.”
Thanks to bystanders nearby in the park, the coyote was chased away before the attack could escalate. Jepsen said Beau received no injuries, but suffered some minor muscle soreness. Jepsen is glad her and Beau survived the ordeal but still feels shaken from the incident.
“I’ve had incidents with coyotes out in the country before, but it’s never been anything where the coyote isn’t afraid of a person. I think that’s scary. The incident in itself was really scary just because Beau is 8 months old and he’s like my whole world. Knowing what a coyote could do and knowing that he could have been gone in seconds and just hurt and killed right there, was really scary.”
Ken Paglia, Public Information Officer for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, said the situation has not escalated to what would be considered a public safety issue as of yet due to the fact no humans have been attacked or sustained injuries from the coyote.
“They have adapted to the urban landscape statewide. It is a really tough issue because they can be aggressive in certain situations, they can go after pets, not all the time but it can happen,” said Paglia. Paglia wants people to know that the Department prohibits capturing and relocating coyotes because it will not resolve the issue.
“The research shows if you try to relocate a coyote, take it and release it somewhere else, they will usually come back to their home base and travel back. If you remove a coyote, then oftentimes another coyote will take that coyote’s place.”
Paglia urges the community to remember when you see a coyote, to haze without harming them. “If you come across a coyote you can make a lot of noise, you can yell, you can throw rocks. If they go on a walk they can bring a personal alarm device or some sort of noise deterrent. If you know there are coyotes in your community, then find another route to walk, keep your distance, but don’t be afraid to haze the coyotes without harming them. You are letting the coyotes know that there is a boundary.”
Christopher DeTar, Human-Wildlife Conflict Specialist with Fish and Wildlife said Clovis residents should know despite the danger they pose, coyotes are a valuable animal species in nature and the environment.
“Coyotes can provide ecosystem service in a multitude of ways,” said DeTar.
“They are primarily carnivorous and consume a large quantity of rodents. This free pest control benefits both homeowners and farmers by reducing property damage and the spread of disease. Coyotes are also scavengers and will clean up carrion (deceased animals).”
Hailie Jepsen commented on the recent reopening of Rotary Park. She said she still doesn’t feel it is safe for people to go to the park until the coyotes leave the area.
“It feels like I can’t even walk outside my front door with Beau because there could be one of the coyotes. I won’t be returning back to Rotary unless someone deals with this situation.”
If you see a coyote in your neighborhood, you can contact the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and make a Wildlife Incident Report (WIR). You can also reach out to the Clovis Police Department’s Clovis Animal Services at (559) 324-2450.