Wildlife experts and residents disagree on how to solve growing coyote population

While most agree that the recent coyote attack on a toddler was tragic and terrifying, wildlife experts and residents seem to be at odds with what should be done about the coyote population. 

"He charged me," said one resident. "I woke all my neighbors up screaming, they thought someone was being murdered."

Residents shared their scary encounters with coyotes during Huntington Beach's recent Town Hall meeting with some saying that coyotes had followed them home. The emotional crowd called on the city and Orange County to act after police were forced to shoot two coyotes that seriously injured a toddler. 

Many residents claim that there are too many roaming around the area, with many people feeling unsafe in their own yards.

"I cruise around at night [because] that's the only time I get to exercise and I literally see five and six in packs cruising up and down the streets," said one resident. 

Experts admitted that the exact number of coyotes in the area, but the Orange County Animal Care and Department of Fish and Wildlife pushed back and claimed that humans are attracting wild animals by leaving trash out or allowing their pets out alone.

Some of the solutions were rebuked by experts claiming that relocation wouldn't work and sterilization would be too expensive and impractical. They insisted that the best answer would be to remove the items that draw coyotes near humans and pets.

But many said that approach would only work if everyone participates and if those who disobey are held accountable. 

"There's a lady over there feeding the coyotes scrambled eggs," said one resident. "She's chasing after them with a plate trying to feed them and she thinks if you feed the coyotes they won't be hungry and go after our pets. I mean that's how idiotic some of these people are." 

This was an information-gathering meeting and the city did not make any decisions on what to do with coyotes. However, the aggressive solutions put forth by some worried some animal activists.