Hello Editor,
Here is yet another point of view about Laguna’s coyote problem.
My home is in Top of the World and is very close to the 3,500-acre greenbelt wild life preserve. The deer and wild rabbit population have been decimated. Spring fawns and even larger deer have been consumed by an ever-growing coyote population. A doe that neighbors have seen nesting in various gardens, which is very uncommon, has not been seen of late.
Coyotes have no natural predators other then humans and maybe an occasional bob cat or mountain lion. The decimation of the deer population is very evident in my neighborhood and here’s the proof. My giant agapanthus, on a gentle slope, with easy access by deer, have survived in full bloom. In past years the buds on these plants were completely eaten by the deer. Additionally, rose blossoms close to road-ways were eaten by the deer. However, in the past two years these roses have remained in full bloom. Wild rabbits that could be seen all over in our gardens and in open landscapes have totally disappeared. These animals too, have been decimated.
Yes, the drought has had an impact no doubt, but the coyote, unfortunately, is the real villain. Wild animals, as we all know, breed when the occasion arises and increases in the population, with no natural intervention other than diseases to control population will force the supply of food sources to be rapidly depleted. Thus, coyotes will move closer to where humans live to find food.
It is indeed a pity at what has happened. Many of us are full-on animal lovers with a total respect for the way nature works. However, what seems fair to one animal species may not be fair to others and causes humans to take action. All of this is truly a conundrum of unpleasantness. Nature, in all its beauty can be a far cry from gentleness.
Jim Gothard, Laguna Beach
