Wild Animals in the Urban Jungles
06-28-08

Story by Richard Parks and Photographs by Roger Rohrdanz

Normally we cover car racing, cruises, car shows, and a host of automotive related subjects, but today we are going to discuss a topic that rarely comes up in automotive sports. The subject is wildlife and how it impacts our hobby. I spent seven weeks at Black Rock Desert in Northern Nevada, during the attempt on the land speed unlimited record by Craig Breedlove and Sir Richard Noble. We had 600 square miles of territory to cover and restrict, whenever the big cars were ready to run on the playa. Some days we patrolled the access points for Craig Breedlove and the Spirit of America, while other days we helped the Brits patrol the playa for Sir Richard Noble’s car, the Thrust/SSC, driven by Andy Green. The conditions for the crews and the security teams were always difficult and raw. The weather was usually hot or cold and the stress levels were always tense. The course was 13 miles long with over-runs that extended the length to 16 miles, but we were only required to FOD a thirteen mile stretch by 50 feet in width. FOD is a term used by the military to mean “foreign object removal.” Yes, I’ve forgotten what the D stands for, but I can vividly recall bending over in the glaring heat and sun and picking up rocks, pebbles, 80 mm shell casings and other debris from the dried mud playa so that the big cars can race down the course without sucking up dangerous objects into their air intake vents. Back and forth the fodders would weave, removing any object that they could see and throwing them into buckets. After a mile or two our backs were sore, our eyes couldn’t stand the glare and we couldn’t see an elephant even if we bumped into it. Bad things happen when foreign objects get into jet engine intakes and roll around the big stators and rotors, chipping away parts of the metal blades. It’s just as dangerous for these land restricted jet cars as for jet planes to suck in birds or other objects while racing down the desert playa.

  It was always easier when the Brits were running their big 22,000 pound car, Thrust/SSC, because they sent up an aerolight, which was a very light one-man helicopter, or more aptly, a gyrocopter. Those wonderful little machines could hover above the huge playa and see objects far and near. They would radio in if they saw a mountain lion, coyote, flock of turkeys or any other animate or inanimate object on the course. People were the main threats, but I came within 150 feet of a cougar and let me tell you, he (or she) was impressive. Just as impressive as the fact the critter didn’t feast on me, since I was alone and on foot patrol, miles from help. Our biggest concern was running a jet car down a clean course without hitting anything at 700 miles per hour, because only terrible things happen when such a race car hits another object, even as light as a coyote. Even pockets of air and gusts of wind can be fatal to the driver and car. Besides the coyote and cougar, we had to contend with wild burros, horses and birds, especially those turkeys and vultures, which were apt to land on the course at any time. But it isn’t just race courses that we have to watch out for wild animals. This story is about wild animals and their impact, not only on racing events, but on our home lives as well. When we’re out doing the dune buggy, motorbike, land speed and other racing activities, we often admire the wild life, even the snakes, road runners, desert tortoises and other animals in their native environments. Yet we fail to comprehend that these animals can also be just as dangerous to us in our urban homes and garages as they are in the wild.

  I first got interested in this subject when my son told me that he found the head of our cat. I just couldn’t believe him at first, but there was the head, cleanly shave off and the body gone except for small bones. I investigated and spoke to the vet who confirmed that it was a coyote attack, in an urban setting right in the middle of 3 million people. I called the city of Fountain Valley, California, and talked to several people in the police department and administration. They referred me to Matt Mogensen, who is an Analyst with the city and he sent out an emailed tract that explained what coyotes do and what the response should be by the residents. Matt denied that the city was responsible for any containment and referred me to Terry Dimon at the Orange County Animal Control. Terry said that they don’t remove wild animals as more wild animals would simply take their place and that the best thing to do was to remove food and let the coyotes starve themselves out of the area. I disagreed with her logic and she referred my concerns to her boss, Jennifer Phillips, who responded in writing three weeks later. Jennifer is the Director of the Orange County Animal Control district and she reiterated what Matt and Terry said, then added that it was the DFG (California Department of Fish and Game), who had jurisdiction. Matt, Terry and Jennifer were all very polite, but I could sense that they didn’t have the answers or that their interest in the matter was a top priority.

  They didn’t give me a phone number or address, but that didn’t stop me and I looked up the California DFG on-line. The person that responded was Lt Jeff Longwell of the Northern California DFG, who referred me to Mike McBride, the director of the Southern California DFG, who in turn referred me to Kevin Brennan, the Senior Wildlife Biologist for the DFG, who handles a lot of complaints about Wildlife Gone Bad. All of the DFG people were hot rod types; they were factual, to the point, problem solvers and friendly. The city and county employees were the sort of people you might have to face in court when you are summoned for a hot rod parts citation. Enough said on that matter. Brennan knows his stuff and isn’t hesitant to tell you what’s what. He’s the kind of guy a hot rodder wants to run into, because hot rodders love to learn. What he told me in a nutshell is this; don’t be overly afraid of wild life when you are out racing or at home, but take these critters seriously or they can do damage. Some wild life is protected, but coyotes are not. Coyotes are about 30 pounds, very intelligent, the size of a medium dog, with amazing leaping abilities, long and sharp teeth and possessing great courage. They usually hunt singly or in pairs and try and stay away from people and large dogs, but they have been known to bring down and kill large deer and fairly large human adults. Their urban food consists of garbage, rodents, fruits, berries, plants, small game, domestic dogs and cats. They will feast on food that is left out for our pets and have been known to try and enter houses, campers, tents and other human areas in search of food. They have attacked, hurt, and even killed children and small toddlers. They can attack a small child in an instant and inflict great bodily damage before a parent can respond. A man in Glendale left his daughter outside and went back inside his house to get his car keys and in the few seconds it took him to return, coyotes had attacked and killed her. The DFG went into the area during the next two months and killed 55 coyotes in order to bring the situation under control after that tragedy.

  Brennan told me that the big three to watch out for in the rural areas are rattlesnakes, cougars and coyotes, but that doesn’t mean that other animals aren’t dangerous. Rabies remains a huge threat and foxes and skunks are two of the most prevalent carriers. Possums may seem timid, but when cornered they have razor sharp teeth. Raccoons will go up to humans if they smell food. Many spiders have life threatening venom. Wild animals should not be petted, approached or disturbed and definitely not fed. The real danger begins when wild animals, such as coyotes, lose their fear of man and become more emboldened. Brennan told me that when a coyote gets to that level, then there is no other option than to have the DFG, the cities or the counties capture or kill the animal. Some animals are protected by law, but coyotes are not. In fact, they are quite prolific. In the wild there are approximately 2 to 4 coyotes per square mile, but in the city, urban coyotes can average up to 12 per square mile and are very adaptable in finding a surplus of food. In some respects the coyote kills and eats rats, mice, squirrels and pestiferous small critters that cause us even more problems than do the coyotes. When coyotes gravitate to your pets, it won’t be long before they go after children and Brennan stressed that even large dogs and adult humans have been attacked and sometimes killed by coyotes. “When they get to that level of boldness,” said Brennan, “they’ve crossed the line.” He told me that it’s not against the law to kill, trap or remove coyotes. “They’re not a protected species in the state of California,” Brennan said. “But there are issues in an incorporated town or city in regards to firing guns and you have to have a license to kill coyotes. That’s why many cities, like Riverside, California, hire professional exterminators who hunt and trap wild animals and remove them from human population centers,” he said.

  I asked him how does one know when the situation warrants that and he said, “It’s like the bucket teetering on the roof over your head, you’ll know that it needs to be removed.” In urban areas you cannot bait, dart or discharge a gun without having consequences with the city officials. It’s best to get a professional exterminator on the job or have the city do it, but according to Brennan you can defend yourself. You cannot use the self defense claim if it means defending a pet. The self defense claim can only refer to a threat against a human being. If the coyote attacks you, then you can defend yourself without getting a city permit to do so. There is no cruelty act violation if you defend a child or adult person from a coyote attack. Brennan says that sedative darts aren’t effective, and a lost dart lying around is a danger to children. Discharging a gun within the city limits opens one up to legal problems. Using poison baits can harm dogs and cats and animals that are protected by law. Traps are okay, but some traps are illegal to use. The best plan of action is to remove food from your neighborhood, use sensor lights, make it miserable for coyotes by scaring them away and being vigilant. When coyotes become immune to these tactics and begin to attack pets, Brennan says we should call the cities and tell them that it is time to hire an exterminator to get rid of the animals as the attacks will only worsen until the coyotes attack children. It isn’t cheap to hire exterminators and it is dangerous and legally perilous to go after coyotes yourself. The variety and diversity of urban predators is on the rise. The DFG will trap or kill dangerous animals only after they have seen a public threat from these animals. They are still looking for the coyote that attacked a child in Chino Hills, California. Brennan says the responsibility for removing or killing dangerous animals in an urban environment rests with the cities and towns, especially because of their gun laws. People with hunting licenses can handle the issue in unincorporated areas of the state.  “We can never remove the coyote from populated areas,” said Brennan, “the only thing that we can do is remove or kill the offending animal that has been emboldened and is no longer afraid of man.” The bottom line is to admire wild animals from a distance, but leave them alone.

Gone Racin’ is at [email protected].  This article was reviewed by Kevin Brennan of the California DFG.

Coyote picture		Coyote picture