Coyote In Culver City Gets Radio Collar From LMU Researchers

CULVER CITY, CA — Loyola Marymount researchers have secured a radio collar to a coyote to track its activity as part of Culver City's ongoing management plan, city officials announced Tuesday.

"The research team has been observing a Culver City coyote pack and its movements throughout 2020 via critter cams throughout the community," according to a city statement. "While the team captures several images a day of the pack, these are only in specific places, and usually in the middle of the night. By placing a radio collar on the coyote, the team will be able to observe movements of the coyotes throughout the day, as well."

The tracking collar will allow researchers to determine where the animals are setting up their dens, how often they venture into neighborhoods, and how far their territory extends.

"Researchers have already been collecting data and found that on the first day, our coyote has spent all day in the Inglewood Oil Field," according to the city statement. "The team looks forward to collecting more data and learning more about this coyote pack."

Coyotes are present in Culver City and throughout Southern California. Although they generally avoid human contact, they are wild animals and have killed unattended small pets.

The city, which monitors residents' reports of coyote behavior in consultation with wildlife experts, "will take appropriate action to protect human safety. It is especially important that the city be notified of any aggressive coyote behavior towards humans."

People can learn more about the program on www.CulverCity.org by searching for Coyote Management, or by emailing Culver City police Lt. Luis Martinez at luis.martinez@culvercity.org; or by calling 310-253- 6251.

- City News Service and Patch Editor Nicole Charky contributed to this report.