Arjun Zhang
Jul 1, 2026, 11:23 PM
Pulled up the county's coyote guidance last night after a walk on the Ladera Ranch trail behind Avendale and figured I'd share a couple things that surprised me. OC Animal Care lists their diet as mostly rodents, rabbits, fruit, and insects, which lines up with the loquats dropping all over the greenbelts right now. The part I didn't know: the biggest driver of them getting comfortable around people is unsecured food and water sources, not the trails themselves. So bird feeders that spill, pet bowls left out overnight, fallen fruit under trees. If anyone wants to actually log a sighting rather than just talk about it, the Coyote Cacher (UC ANR runs it) maps reports countywide. Not pushing a view either way, just found it useful to see the numbers instead of guessing.
Jennifer Novak
Jul 1, 2026, 11:23 PM
Standing and watching twice in one week isn't "everywhere, ignore them" to me. That's a coyote comfortable enough to study you and your dog and hold its ground. I'd trust your gut over the shrug-it-off crowd. I'd switch up your route and time for a while, keep him leashed short, and honestly I'd rather Ladera flag it now than after something happens. That hour on Founders is prime for them.
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