To the editor:
I write to add my voice to Dr. Arnold Newman’s objection to the Arcadia City Council’s decision to begin trapping and killing the city’s coyotes. The notion that trapping and killing coyotes will eradicate them or even reduce their number is a classic alternative factoid. There’s an old saying from the cowboy west: “Kill one coyote, and two more show up for the funeral.”
I am not an Arcadia resident, but I believe I have something to add to the discussion about coyotes there. I live in a part of San Francisco where coyotes frequently visit our neighborhood. Last autumn, I spent several weekend afternoons walking my neighborhood knocking on doors, talking to neighbors, and if no one came to the door, leaving door hangers co-produced by Project Coyote and San Francisco Animal Care and Control.
I visited at least 800 households and talked to householders in about 200 of them. When I started canvasing I really had no idea how I would be received. When I did talk to neighbors, I was astonished by the response I did get. Only three of them expressed hostility to the notion of coexisting with urban coyotes. A few more than that were a little fearful, but eager to learn more about coexistence.
By far the vast majority actually like having coyotes as urban neighbors. That majority divides pretty much evenly between neighbors who understand the environmental contributions coyotes can provide in an urban setting and neighbors who unapologetically think it’s “cool” (for lack of a better word) to have Sr/Sra Coyote come visit from time to time.
I rather think that any number of citizens of Arcadia have similar points of view. The $20,000 appropriated by the City Council could be put to so much better use for a public information campaign promoting coexistence with wildlife.
Sincerely,
– Dan De Vries,
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
