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Coyote Bites Jogger in Griffith Park
A coyote as seen in Griffith Park | Photo by Ilpo's Sojourn via Flickr
It was just last month when coyotes reportedly killed Paris Hilton's dogs (she denied it, though), as well as pets owned by Demi Moore and Halle Berry. And yesterday, a jogger was bitten by a coyote, but her injuries were not serious and she did nothing to provoke the incident.
A park ranger told the Daily News that "the coyote was responding to feeding by other park patrons. The coyote expected to get fed." Apparently, people have been feeding the coyotes over the past few months which has changed their behavior. The ranger said coyotes have enough food in the wild and that feeding them does not do the animals any service.
In fact, the first two rules in Project Wildlife's guide to living with coyotes say don't feed them. "1. Don’t feed coyotes; they could become dependent upon humans for food. 2. Don’t leave your pet food outdoor."
"Coyotes, to my way of thinking, are as emblematic of L.A. as the ubiquitous palm tree," explains writer Rodger Jacobs on his blog. "They may be an occasional nuisance — my ex-wife’s cat was coyote food a few years back — but Angelenos just gotta learn to live with their presence; after all, they were there first."
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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