An unexpected visitor made an appearance during a tour of Dodger Stadium on Saturday, as a family photographed a coyote walking in the aisles behind the home dugout at the ballpark.
Photos of the coyote show the animal looking around in the middle of the aisle before continuing up the steps towards the concourse. Despite its proximity to the touring families, no injuries were reported.
The Dodgers are yet to officially comment on the matter.
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Dodger Stadium sits in the middle of Elysian Park, an area with vast hills and open areas which serve as the homes of numerous animal species. Coyotes are among the number of animals which call the area home, and are more active from January to March — the peak of their breeding season.
During their breeding season, coyotes are more likely to encounter humans as they search for food, shelter and mates.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has a six-point checklist for outdoor safety if you encounter a coyote and it approaches you.
They recommend keeping a safe distance and backing away slowly, keeping children and pets close, making loud noises, making yourself look bigger, letting the coyote leaving the immediate area by their own will and fighting back against the coyote before calling animal control or 9-1-1 if it attacks.
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Additionally, they recommend keeping any pets or livestock safe and inside and trash and pet food out of reach during the night to prevent attracting coyotes.
Coyotes play a pivotal role in controlling rodent and rabbit populations across California, and positively influence the ecosystem with their services.
Syndication: Journal Sentinel
