HOW TO
DEAL WITH
WILDLIFE…
WHEN NATURE COMES TO YOUR ASSOCIATION
By Elaine Gower
N
ature and the animals that inhabit areas around your
HOA are beautiful but making sure you control their
presence in your community is important. Not only
is it better for your HOA to avoid having regular wild animal
visitors, but it is safer for them too. Remember to watch out
for any garbage or pet foods left outside, do not feed wild
animals, and report any sightings to animal control. Some of
the most prevalent species in San Diego and surrounding areas include
coyotes, deer, mountain lions, bobcats and rattlesnakes.
Coyotes
The distant howl of a coyote is often
exciting, but nobody wants to see
one their backyard. Something as
simple as an unsecured garbage can,
pet food, or even fruit and vegetable
gardens can lure them in. They aren’t
picky and will eat just about anything.
It’s important to educate homeowners
to take necessary precautions to
make the community less desirable
for coyotes. They may seem fairly harmless and more of a pest, but
coyotes will become aggressive toward people and have been known to
attack house pets. While they are a threat to us in different ways, the
canyons and hills of San Diego County are their natural habitat. A sad
example of a coyote at an HOA was of the animal that got its head stuck
in a food container not properly disposed of. Even though Animal Control
came out to evaluate, the coyote was scared away when people tried to
approach to help and we do not know the outcome.
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SAN DIEGO COMMUNITY INSIDER
FALL 2019
Mountain Lions and Bobcats
Many HOA communities
back up to large canyons
and open space. It is
important to remember
that these spaces are wild
habitats. The animals were
there before any homes
were built so we need to
respect their space. If
mountain lions or bobcats
are seen, call San Diego
County Wildlife Services
and post warnings to your
homeowners. A four-year-
old boy is lucky to be alive
after being attacked by an
80-pound wild cat, likely a
mountain lion, in a Rancho
Peñasquitos canyon.
Making the neighborhood
and homeowners aware is
important.