Feeding the birds is fine. But it might soon be illegal to feed coyotes, foxes, opossums, raccoons or skunks in Huntington Beach.
The city is considering the ban after a string of coyote sightings in Surf City. Under the proposal, to be considered next week, those persons who violate the rules could face fines.
The
city has been having issues with coyotes that have lost their fear of
people, and the police department declared it a public safety issue.
Residents have made complaints about coyotes coming into their
backyards to eat their pets and are worried about their families’
safety.
Councilman Joe Carchio proposed adding the ordinance to
help stop the problem by educating residents after attending two city
meetings on the idea. The idea isn’t necessarily to ticket offenders or
become a “nanny government,” but to inform people about the harm
feeding wild animals causes, Carchio told the Huntington Beach Independent.
“I didn’t do this
because we wanted to issue summons or tickets or anything like that,”
he said. “It’s more to make people aware.”
The ordinance wouldn’t extend to feeding birds in a backyard or ducks at the pond, he said.
— Britney Barnes reporting for the Huntington Beach Independent
Photo: Huntington Beach is considering making it illegal to feed coyotes and other wild animals. Credit: Los Angeles Times