Duarte is home to wildlife including bears, coyotes, deer and other animals. While coexisting with them can seem threatening, Duarte Public Safety assures you that with the right knowledge and planning, coexisting can instead be safe and peaceful for all.

According to the California Department of Wildlife and Fish, a simple bag of garbage, bowl of pet food or a wild bird feeder, can create problems with wildlife. If wild animals have access to human food and garbage, unnatural foraging behavior can begin. Wildlife venturing into neighborhoods puts both people and animals at risk. Wildlife becomes susceptible to vehicle strikes, pesticide poisoning, injury from other wildlife and disease. Public safety may be compromised.

Preventative measures for keeping wildlife at bay are below. If you encounter problems stemming from wild animals, please call the Public Safety Department at (626) 357-7938.

Preventative Measures

DOs

• Accompany and supervise children and pets when outside
• Consider keeping pets inside
• Remove your pet's food dish when they finish eating
• Ensure fencing is secure by frequently checking for gaps and openings (Fences are ideally 6 feet and have an angled top extending outward for an additional 16 to 24 inches at 45 degrees)
• Secure crawl spaces, such as access ways under the house, decks and porches with high-gauge welded wire mesh
• Enclose vegetable gardens with welded wire mesh or a greenhouse
• Block access under storage sheds and containers
• Store trash containers in enclosed structures, such as a garage, or strap down trash container lids
• Spray ammonia occasionally in your trash to minimize food odors
• Pick up all fallen fruit from your yard
• Keep your property well lit at night and use motion lights to help alert you to activity outdoors–motion activated devices may discourage wildlife from coming onto your property

DON'Ts

• Do not encourage, entice, approach or feed wildlife.
• Do not leave pets or children unattended outdoors
• Do not leave food unattended outdoors
• Do not put trash containers out until the day of service, especially if their lids are not strapped down
• Do not leave ripened fruit on branches–for assistance removing ripened fruit, contact Duarte’s Local Harvest at (626) 359-5671, ext. 316

How to Deal with Wildlife Encounters

You may be more likely to see certain animals during specific times of the year. Coyotes come out from March to September and bears can come out from January to early May. You can always use one of the following scare tactics if you encounter wild animals. Just be sure to use them from a distance and to never turn your back or run away from a wild animal.

Make a Wildlife Scare Kit
Make a wildlife scare kit consisting of air horns, whistles, two small pans to bang together, baseballs and/or golf balls to throw and keep it at your front door in case of an emergency. Disposable cameras with flash are also known to scare off animals.

Carry a Walking Stick or Umbrella
Take a walking stick or large colorful umbrella on walks. They can help you fend off animals in the event of an encounter. An open umbrella makes you appear much larger to the animal and may frighten it away. Items such as whistles, air horns, may also be used to frighten off wild animals.

Additional Resources

For more information on coexisting with wildlife, please visit:

• Being Bugged Bothersome Bear
• Rabbit & Deer Resistant Plants
• Tips for Bear Proofing
• Peafowl
• Bats
• Coyotes

Note: The Department of Public Safety does not support nor endorse any specific product or equipment recommendations, nor support or endorse companies that produce products that scare, deter or exclude wildlife. Any brochures, suggestions, pamphlets or flyers that are displayed, sent or supplied to you are meant to help with ideas you may find useful. Should you decide to purchase any products or services from any source and that product or service should fail to support the claims of the manufacturer or business, The Department of Public Safety cannot be held responsible for that product, claim or service. In no event shall the City of Duarte be liable for any damages whatsoever, and in particular City of Duarte Public Safety Department shall not be liable for special, indirect, consequential, or incidental damages, or damages for lost profits, loss of revenue, or loss of use, human fatality or injury, arising out of the information contained herein, whether such damages arise in contract, negligence, tort, under statute, in equity, at law or otherwise. Disclaimer of Endorsement Reference herein to any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the City of Duarte.

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