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Awareness through education is key in resolving conflicts with wildlife. Wildlife to a small degree has been included in the scope of the services that the Department provides as need has arisen due to encroachment on wild habitat which has resulted in wild animals being involved in distress situations in which they required rescue. The Department of Animal Services was originally created to deal with problems arising from stray dogs and to enforce laws pertaining to them. These animals are a common and important integral part of our ecosystem, biosphere and the circle of life. There are no laws, policies or mandates requiring the Department to remove native wildlife. The City of Los Angeles does not own or have any control of wild animals found within its boundaries, nor is the City responsible for the actions or damage caused by them. The opposite is also true as well if we do nothing and allow things to remain unchecked then the wildlife behavior remains the same. In many cases this will teach further generations to avoid habitats where deterrent measures have been implemented. Change in wildlife behavior through negative interactions with humans by using deterrents is one way to alter the types of encounters we have with them. If we are going to push further and further into the habitat of wild animals we need to be responsible for our behavior.
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Unfortunately, urban sprawl is something that remains a constant. Many people are encouraging wild animals to live near their homes inadvertently or by design. The source of the problem is not the presence of wildlife, it is the environment that humans provide for them just by the simple manner in how we are the provider of food, water and cover for them. After speaking with many experts we discovered some of the reasons why. In spite of the destruction of large numbers of wild animals throughout the United States the problem remains today and in many instances worsened dramatically. The removal of coyotes temporarily resolved problems but failed to address the real issues. Due to changes in thinking within and outside the department, studies in coyote behavior and new laws pertaining to trapping, the practice was stopped. The focus at that time was simply to remove problem animals. Prior to 1994, the Department of Animal Services did routinely trap and euthanize coyotes. If there is blood present or the appearance of mucus crust on the animal’s eyes or nose, that animal likely needs human intervention and should be taken immediately to the nearest open Animal Services Center. Please contact the California Wildlife Center for more information at 81 or visit their website at. The parents are likely nearby and will care for their young on the ground until they decide to move them or, in the case of birds, learn to fly properly. Wildlife’s best chance at survival is with their parents who are best equipped to care for them. Keep a watchful eye and keep your cats/dogs away from the area. If young wildlife, including birds are seen on the ground or in bushes, please do not touch them. The parents often do need to search for food and may not be within eye range at all times. This is the time of year that young wildlife start to come out of their dens and nests and learn to navigate the world under the watchful eye of their parents. This is a multi-tiered program designed to help neighborhoods better deal with wildlife issues, and further lessen contact with these animals by investigating changes in both human and wildlife behavior. Rather, the Department is working to rectify most problems through neighborhood education and individual homeowner attention. It is not the intention of the Department of Animal Services to remove wildlife from residential areas. This program allows for a Department representative to provide on-site evaluations, education on methods of exclusion, deterrents and discouragement of wildlife forays into our City neighborhoods. The Los Angeles Department of Animal Services has Animal Control Officers to aid residents in rectifying problems and some of the uneasiness that many people face with wildlife.