I was glad the coyote was getting in its steps for the day.
Last night, I spotted the wild canine sauntering around my Highland Park block with the confidence of a lifetime Venice Beach jogger. It darted a quick glance my way before continuing its route, nonplussed by my presence and my very cool new tracksuit.
It was a true casual encounter. Which makes sense — they belong here, and “they’re not going away,” said Ken Pellman, public information officer for the L.A. County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office.
And for the next two months they’re getting all dolled up, flirty and frisky — it’s mating season, after all.
“There’s going to be coyotes out there. And even if a particular coyote gets removed, there’ll be another coyote eventually to take its place,” Pellman said. “They’re highly adaptable. They’ll have larger litters if they sense that there’s more room to spread out because some coyotes have been taken away.”
The breeding season started in January
California coyotes breed in January, February, and March. Gestation takes about two months, so pups are born in March through May. Both natural cycles can cause changes in behavior, according to Elizabeth Miller, staff biologist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services headquarters.
“To prepare their own bodies for mating, you know, the process of pregnancy, labor, you know, delivery and then raising those pups, you might imagine that they’re trying to secure a safe area to do that, and then also satisfy those nutritional requirements,” Miller said. “So you might see that translate to aggression, and bolder behavior, and more desperation to…
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