RPMT reports coyote sighting in Rossmoor backyard

The following information was released by Rossmoor Predator Management Teamm(RPMT).

A Rossmoor resident reports:

Around 1 a.m. my daughter heard rustling noises in the back and side yards of the house. She was looking out the windows and then saw the coyote three feet from the back door. It saw her (or saw movement) through the glass in the door and took off. The back gate was open because my son was in the garage. The back patio light was on and she is positive that it was a coyote, not a dog or anything else.

We have recently seen droppings in the yard that seemed too big to be from one of our cats or from a possum or raccoon. Also, we lost a beloved cat last August to a coyote. My daughter and I sometimes jog late at night and see cats out very late.

I sure wish something could be done about these coyotes. Weren’t they being trapped and removed to the wilderness at one point? This is such a huge quality of life issue for all of us.

Rossmoor resident on Oak Way Dr.

RPMT responds:

We are providing you with a link of various coyote deterrents for you and our members to consider: coyote deterrents (pdf).

The large droppings are indication of a presence of a coyote. It is hunting for your cat. We would strongly recommend covering this scent with either bleach or any of the deterrents listed in the link.

When neighbors leave cats out at night, they are basically providing attractants or food to lure coyotes into Rossmoor. Cats are a very easy food for coyotes. Cats are unacquainted with the hunting habits of a coyote and may possibly perceive them to be a dog that they could fight off.

Our first time out attempting to take pictures of a coyote, we saw a dead cat in the mouth of a coyote that had literally been bitten in half!

Both RPMT and the Rossmoor Homeowners Association (RHA) utilized joint assets to remove coyotes in the past when there were numerous sightings, attacks, killings. This is why it is so important that we report all sightings and activity of coyotes.