Seal Beach Police Giving Out Cowbells To Help Keep Coyotes At Bay

SEAL BEACH, CA — The Seal Beach Police Department is giving out cowbells to residents to help curb coyote behavior in the city.

The cowbells, police say, are used as a hazing tool to keep coyotes away at a natural distance for people. The hazing doesn't harm them and the loud noise from the bell helps "reinforce healthy boundaries," the SBPD said on social media.

"If you’ve been by the Seal Beach Police Department lobby recently, you may have noticed something new on the counter—cowbells," the SBPD said in the social media post. "No, we’re not starting a band. They’re free to residents as part of our effort to safely coexist with neighborhood coyotes."

Police say that after working with leading coyote researcher and Cal State Long Beach professor Dr. Ted Stankowich, they've learned that "coyotes are here to stay."

"While we can’t remove them, we can manage interactions and keep our community safe," the police department said.

Other Southern California communities have drawn the same conclusion, including Redondo Beach, which approved a coyote management plan earlier this year that focuses on teaching people how to stay safe and coexist with coyotes.

"Urban coyotes are here to stay," Redondo Beach officials said in a statement in the Coyote Management & Response Plan, which was approved in May. "While many fear an attack from coyotes, such incidents are rare and fatalities are rarer still."

Coyotes often feed on rodents, rabbits, raccoons, fruit, garbage and small pets, primarily hunting at dawn or dusk. While humans may see them as pests, the coyote plays a critical role in local ecosystems, regulating the populations of small mammals and rodents.

Coyotes are fearful of humans and will go out of their way to avoid them. However, they can habitually grow accustomed to being around humans over time.

Seal Beach police, meanwhile, says that residents can report sightings online to help officials track patterns and activities.

SEE ALSO: Coyote Attacks 6-Year-Old Boy At South Bay Park: Report