Torrance has voted to end a nearly decade-long practice of routinely trapping and killing coyotes, shifting toward nonlethal methods aimed at reducing conflicts between the animals and residents.
The Torrance City Council voted Sept. 15 to discontinue the year-round trapping program. The city, however, will retain the option of authorizing targeted trapping when warranted.
The decision marks a significant change in how the city manages its coyote population.
In recent years, Torrance has spent nearly $80,000 annually on its trapping contractor, with about 30 coyotes killed each year, according to information provided by Wildlife Emergency Services.
Wildlife Emergency Services operates Coyote-Smart, a program that provides educational workshops, consultations and other assistance to communities seeking to prevent and address conflicts between people and coyotes.
The organization said the trapping program resulted in no measurable reduction in the city’s coyote population.
City information has also acknowledged that trapping is not considered a sustainable long-term solution because removing a coyote can create a territorial vacancy that may be filled by another animal.
The council’s decision follows years of opposition to the trapping program from some residents and wildlife advocacy organizations.
Wildlife Emergency Services credited residents who repeatedly addressed the City Council, along with wildlife protection groups, with pushing for changes to the city’s approach.
Under the new direction, the city has an opportunity to place greater emphasis on strategies that include public education, reducing intentional and unintentional feeding, securing potential food sources and other attractants, improving coyote reporting and mapping, and using appropriate hazing and field intervention, according to Wildlife Emergency Services.
