By Khalida Sarwari
As Santa Clara County Vector Control officials this week begin to wrap up a month-long program to trap coyotes in Saratoga, residents are reminded to continue to keep their eyes and ears open for the animals.
It’s especially important, said Russ Parman, acting district manager, to send a loud and clear message to the prowlers that they are unwelcome in the neighborhood.
“Avoid leaving pet food out,” Parman said. “Try to scare them and run them off if you can. Just do things to discourage them from getting comfortable in the first place.”
Those things include throwing rocks, stomping your feet and making loud noises.
“Frighten those coyotes to the point where they don’t feel like sticking around anymore,” he said.
As of mid-July, there were no captures, according to Parman. But there were also fewer reports of sightings from residents. One possible reason might be that the coyotes are getting the message, so to speak, and are moving on, which isn’t unusual, said Parman. There have been no reports of injuries or deaths to either animals or humans.
Vector control specialists are using a snare to trap the animals by their leg, or a collarum, a device designed to throw a loop of cable over a coyote’s head and neck. The first method, which was to use a cage-type trap, was unsuccessful, said Parman.
“Coyotes are not easy to catch, so it’s not unusual for this project to take a little bit of time,” he said.
At the end of the month, vector control will assess its trapping program and determine the appropriate next steps, Parman said. Because state fish and game laws do not permit the relocation of the animals, once the coyotes are captured, they will be euthanized.
The program began at the end of June to trap coyotes that were considered a risk to people and animals in the rural areas of the city. The issue was brought up last month by several Saratoga residents, including Michael Metz, who lives in a residential neighborhood between West Valley College and Highway 9, and who has been spearheading efforts to address the problem. Parman said he has also heard from residents who do not view the coyotes as a danger to the same extent as others.
“We do sometimes hear from people who philosophically don’t agree with the trapping program, but we’re working to resolve this situation we have in front of us at the time being,” Parman said.
For more information about coexisting with coyotes, visit the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley at wcsv.org. Residents are also encouraged to report sightings of coyotes behaving aggressively to Santa Clara County’s Vector Control District at 408.918.4770 or by using the vector control website at sccgov.org.
County vector control wraps up effort to trap coyotes in Saratoga
