Coyote Sightings on the Rise

Students and staff report coyote encounters on West Valley campus. 

   Recently this spring semester students have frequently seen coyotes around West Valley's campus as they make their presence known during the early morning hours and night times.

According to the College’s district Safety Alerts and Data records there have been reports of coyotes acting aggressively when students and staff come into close proximity with them. Students have reported encounters such as coyotes passing by or short moments of eye contact. 

One student who spotted a coyote said she knew not to feed the wild animal. She said, “We learned not to give them food with the proper behavior to exhibit towards them. A bunch of us piled out so we were trying to practice the stuff we just learned as it feels weird to be yelling at a coyote but we were trying to communicate with them to make them more wary of humans.”

Clarissa, a student worker, said that she was concerned about the health of the animals. She said “Making sure we are not feeding the coyotes would be the best we can do for them. That way they don't get sick." Clarissa is also concerned for the safety of West Valley students. She added, “I think the only downside would be the fear and maybe anxiety that other people may be feeling. Especially the students and staff that are on campus until night time.”

Coyotes are a central symbol on our campus of wildlife and mother nature, according to Leticia Gallardo, professor of Biology at West Valley College. Professor Gallardo stated, “They have always been here. The reason and benefits from their presence helps regulate the populations of the ground squirrels or the rodents that we have on campus. If we got rid of them they would just recolonize as it is our responsibility to coexist with the coyotes.”

Throughout West Valley’s history coyotes have made it their spot to roam around during the early springs in March. A student named Nick said, “Coyotes are natural pest control that save the county thousands of dollars every year. I mean of all college campuses this one has a lot more natural space. The ecosystem West Valley created is a nice park setting, so I would move in too.”