The City of Corona borders the Cleveland National Forest to the South and the Prado Dam and Reserve Area to the West. There is a large variety of wildlife that inhabits the City of Corona. Coyotes are most often attracted to residential areas due to the availability of food, water and shelter. Residents can encourage Coyotes to leave by removing or limiting these elements from their property. A true scavenger, the coyote will eat almost anything from sheep, poultry and deer, to snakes, rodents and rabbits as well as domestic cats and dogs, along with fruits and vegetables and just plain garbage.

Coyotes primarily hunt rodents and rabbits for food and play an important role in the ecosystem, by helping to keep these species populations under control. Coyotes by their very nature are fearful of humans. If a coyote gains access to food or garbage it may create a deadly situation relating to a food source and their behavior changes and they lose caution and fear, resulting in conflicts with domestic pets or possible injuries to small children.

The coyotes range covers the entire state of California. Most conflicts occur along the borders between urban and wild areas. Relocating a problem coyote is not an option because it only transfers the problem to someone else's neighborhood. Coyotes are mainly active during the nighttime, but they can be moving at any time during the day. Most sightings of coyotes occur during the hours close to sunrise and sunset. Adult coyotes weigh between 20 and 45 pounds.

Here are some steps you can take to reduce the chance of human-coyote conflicts:

• Never feed coyotes!
• Don't leave small children unattended outside if coyotes have been frequenting the area.
• Remove sources of water, particularly in dry climates.
• Install motion-sensitive lighting around your home.
• Trim ground-level shrubbery to reduce hiding places.
• Be aware that coyotes are more active in the spring, when feeding and protecting their young.
• Discourage coyotes from frequenting your area. If you start seeing coyotes around your home or property, chase them away by shouting, making loud noises or throwing rocks.
• Put garbage in tightly closed containers that cannot be tipped over.
• Feed pets indoors whenever possible; pick up any leftovers if feeding outdoors.
• Keep pets safely confined and provide secure nighttime housing for them.
• Pick up fallen fruit from trees and cover compost piles.
• Ask your neighbors to follow these tips.

These steps may decrease the frequency of coyote sightings in your area if practiced continuously. However, coyotes are adaptable to change and are quick to learn new ways of survival. Occasional sightings will occur. Making life for coyotes in your neighborhood more difficult will increase the likelihood that they will go somewhere else.