NEWS RELEASE

JEFFERSON PARISH, LOUISIANA

August 1, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JEFFERSON PARISH HOSTS INFORMATIONAL SESSIONS ABOUT COYOTE MANAGEMENT

JEFFERSON, LA – Jefferson Parish, in partnership with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries, will host two informational sessions to discuss coyote management. The sessions will include information on how Jefferson Parish has assembled a multi-department strike team to help address the coyote population that are a threat to people and pets, as well as what residents can do to discourage coyotes from venturing into their neighborhoods.

The first meeting will take place on Tuesday, August 8 from 6-7 p.m. at the Jefferson Parish General Government Building (2nd floor Council Chambers), located at 200 Derbigny St., in Gretna. The second meeting will take place on Wednesday, August 9 from 6-7 p.m. at the Joseph S. Yenni Building (2nd Floor Council Chambers), located at 1221 Elmwood Park Blvd., in Harahan.

According to the Louisiana Wildlife & Fisheries, coyotes are becoming more common in urban areas, including Jefferson Parish, due to increased land development and food availability. The agency says that coyotes and other nuisance wildlife typically look for food in garbage cans, gardens and other outdoor spaces. Coyotes are also known to seek shelter under decks or sheds, and in thick brush and hollow trees. To deter coyotes, residents are encouraged to feed pets and store pet food indoors, do not allow pets to run loose outside, store garbage cans in a garage or secure them to prevent tampering, and trim all shrubs and remove any fruit that may have fallen from a tree.

Hazing is a method that makes use of deterrents to move coyotes out of an area or discourage an undesirable behavior or activity. Hazing can help maintain a coyote’s fear of humans and deter them from backyards and play spaces. The Humane Society of the United States has created a Coyote Hazing Guide, which has a list of a variety of different hazing tools (PDF).

For additional information about coyote management in Jefferson Parish, view the Jefferson Protection & Animal Welfare Services (JPAWS) Coyote Management Plan, which is also located on the JPAWS page of the Jefferson Parish website. This information has been gathered from scientific and peer-reviewed articles, from experts in the field of human-coyote conflict resolution, and from successful coyote management plans across the U.S.

For more information about Jefferson Parish, visit www.JeffParish.net. Residents can also receive regular updates by following the Parish on social media (@JeffParishGov) or by texting JPALERT or JPNOTICIAS to 888-777

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Jefferson Parish Public Information Office 1221 Elmwood Park Boulevard, Suite 1002 Jefferson, LA 70123

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Gretchen Hirt Gendron, PIO