The Loyola Marymount University (LMU) research team has developed a Coyote Risk Assessment Backyard Survey that will help us determine if you are at high risk of attracting a coyote to your yard and neighborhood. This is a free service that the research team will provide to any Culver City resident who is willing to participate in this brief, 10 minute study in your backyard. Upon completion, researchers will email the results to you with information on how you can better secure your yard. The more participants that we have throughout the City, the better, so that we can understand what specific factors are attracting coyotes to certain parts of our community.  Please contact LMU's Melinda Weaver at melinda.weaver@lmu.edu to schedule a survey appointment. The researchers will also be going door-to-door in targeted neighborhoods, so be on the lookout for our team!

Background

Here in Culver City, there have been a significant increase in coyote sightings in the last two years, and coyotes have been linked to 72 cat deaths in that time. However, it’s not only domestic pets that are attracting coyotes to your yard. A recent survey by the National Park Service found that 75% of a coyote’s diet comes from human food sources, and 55% of that is from fallen fruit, unsecured trash, pet food, and water left outdoors at night. For more information on the City's Coyote Management Plan is available online.