Animal Resources

If your wildlife encounter is an emergency, please call 9-1-1.

Wild Pigs

Wild pigs can cause quite a problem in residential neighborhoods. Wild pigs are omnivores, and seek out gardens and grassy areas looking for roots, grubs, and other fungus to eat.  They use their long snouts to dig up the ground, causing damage to yards and common areas. Wild pigs can be very dangerous and should not be approached if you come into contact with them.  The only way to solve a habitual wild pig problem on private property is to allow a licensed trapper to trap the animals.  For more information on wild pig abatement, contact the California Department of Fish and Wildlife at (707) 428-2002, or visit their website at https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Living-with-Wildlife.  You may also report wildlife incidents and sick or injured wildlife through this link.  Each report is then assigned to a designated Investigator for follow-up.

Coyotes

Coyotes play an important role in our ecosystem, helping to keep rodent populations under control.  Coyotes are by nature fearful of humans.  However, if coyotes have access to food or garbage, they can become dangerous to humans and pets. If a coyote attacks a person or pet, immediately call 9-1-1 and notify the Department of Fish and Wildlife Bay Delta Regional Office at (707) 428-2002.  

California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) does have some recommendations to address nuisance coyotes.  The coyote and human habitat transition zone overlaps in the Mt. Diablo range. Wildlife is being encouraged into neighborhoods by abundant and “artificial” food resources. Most incidents that garner public attention involve free-roaming or unsupervised pets. CDFW does not routinely trap and relocate or euthanize coyotes that are causing human/wildlife conflicts. CDFW's primary recommendations are to keep any animals/pets safe inside the home or in a secure outside enclosure or ensure they are immediately attended to when outside. The community should also try to ensure no other food resources, water, or shelter are available to coyotes. Residents can help by securing all garbage, using rodent control, and clearing potential coyote shelter spots such as overgrown brush or other vegetation around homes. 

When coyotes are active in an area, we recommend people keep their pet in, be extra vigilant and persistently haze any coyotes seen.

In order to keep coyotes at bay: 

• Be sure to keep all your garbage containers tightly closed or locked, especially if you live up against an open space area.
• Use rodent control methods.  
• Never leave pet food or water outside. Make sure no one is feeding coyotes or other wildlife deliberately, or leaving food out.
• Keep any animals/pets safe inside the home or in a secure outside enclosure or ensure they are immediately attended to when outside.
• If you have fruit trees, be sure to pick up any fruit that has dropped off and cover compost piles.
• Secure perimeter fences so a coyote can’t get through.
• Modify landscaping areas such as trimming shrubs around a property to change potential use as cover by coyotes waiting for opportunities to take prey. 
• Residents can also try motion sprinklers on a hose placed in a location a coyote often uses or other areas where an animal can enter a property.

HAZING

CDFW recommends that residents forcefully and persistently haze coyotes when seen on the property by making loud noises, chasing it away and throwing rocks/sticks at it, or using motion sensing devices such as lights, sirens, or sprinklers. Most people are afraid of wildlife or don’t think it’s legal to haze and harass them, but the animals are usually just habituated to seeing people, and therefore don’t immediately run off unless people are willing to be bolder and pursue them until the coyote behavior changes. It usually takes multiple efforts to re-educate a coyote about not being welcome around homes and communities.  

Reported sightings are typically opportunistic coyotes looking for easy prey like rodents and other animals. When they have young pups to raise, they are constantly looking for food. Coyotes may be seen day or night. When coyotes are being seen more in (sub)urban areas, it is likely they are taking advantage of local food resources. Small mammals, such as rodents are their main prey. Rodents can be abundant around developments, therefore coyotes (foxes, etc.) may be seen. Rodent control, good clean-up habits, and hazing are all recommended for reducing human/coyote conflicts

Information and tips about managing coyotes in urban neighborhoods can be found on the California Department of Wildlife website at: 

https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Keep-Me-Wild/Coyote. 

https://wildlife.ca.gov/Wildlife-Watch 

https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Laboratories/Wildlife-Health/HWC-Program 

 Injured or Deceased Animals 

If you come across a dead or injured animal in Danville (deer, raccoon, birds, etc.) please contact the Contra Costa County Animal Services Division Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. at (925) 608-8400.  After business hours please contact Sheriff’s Dispatch at (925) 646-2441.  Contra Costa Animal Services cannot pick up dead animals on private property. 

Dog Bites 

To report a dog bite, please contact Animal Control Services at (925) 608-8400.  After hours, contact Sheriff’s Dispatch at (925) 646-2441.  For all other services offered by Contra Costa County Animal Services, please visit their website at http://www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/7282/Animal-Services.

Bees

The Mount Diablo Beekeepers Association is a great resource for information on Bees.  If you notice bees beginning to gather in one location in a tree or in your yard, don’t panic.  Bees are generally docile when they are swarming, however they may pick a location that is less than desirable for you.  If this happens, take note of where they are at and whether or not they are indeed honey bees.  They could be wasps or yellow jackets.  To determine what you have, visit the Mount Diablo Bee Keepers Association website at https://diablobees.org/index.php/report-a-swarm/.  This page can direct you to the appropriate resource to help you remove the swarm using a list of identified swarm removal specialists in your area.