Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, June 5, 2021

B5 Mountain Views News Saturday, June 5, 2021 B5 Mountain Views News Saturday, June 5, 2021 
CANINE MEETS COYOTE 

As residents of the foothills, it is important to 
remember that we live very close to the forest 

Happy Tails 

which means we live very close to a wide variety 

of wildlife. Most of the time, the animals who live 
by Chris Leclerc in our nearby forest do not pose a threat to us or 
our pets, but there are times when we must take 
particular precaution to avoid unwanted contact 
with a would-be predator that may venture into 
our village. 

Wild animals do what they must do to survive and protect their own. They act instinctively according to the 
way the are wired for survival. While I believe their behavior changes or evolves over time, to fit the need, I 
love that they stay on course - for the most part - rather than ‘reinvent the wheel’ that works for them. But 
the bottom line is, it’s up to us humans to ensure that our pets are safe from harm, especially when coyotes 
are in close proximity. 

I once read an article that provided some very practical tips on how to avoid the inherent dangers of 
coming into close contact with a coyote, while walking a dog, and I thought it might be helpful to share 
those safety tips with my fellow local dog owners in hopes that they will read and heed. 

All credit for the following information goes to Jaymi Heimbuch. Many thanks go out for her awesome 
article posted on the urbancoyoteinitiative.com website and the helpful tips she shared, which I hope will 
be deemed beneficial by all who read this article. 

What to do if You Encounter a Coyote While Walking Your Dog: 

Leash your dog. (Of course your dog should always be leashed during a walk.) Pick up and carry small 
dogs. It is important to have full control over your dog so that they do not run toward, away from, or 
otherwise engage the coyote. 

Stand tall and assertive. Coyotes are wary of humans and your presence is usually enough to drive off a 
coyote. Maintain eye contact. Do not turn your back on the coyote and do not run. Running away can 
trigger a coyote’s prey drive and may cause him or her to chase you. 

Haze the coyote until it leaves the area. This may come easy to some, but to others may seem abusive or 
unkind. But every coyote advocate will agree, the kindest thing you can do for a coyote is to scare it away, 
especially if he or she is overly curious about dogs. Keeping a coyote’s natural fear of humans is the only way 
to keep urban coyotes alive, for a coyote that becomes too brazen is sure to end up euthanized. 

Outside of pupping season (between the months of August and January) haze the coyote by yelling, 
stomping your feet, shaking a jacket or noise maker, popping an umbrella, flashing a flashlight, tossing 
rocks or branches at the ground near the coyote and anything else that will frighten the coyote off. If the 
coyote freezes, or runs a little way away and turns to watch you again, continue hazing and moving toward 
the coyote until he or she leaves the area entirely. Then calmly and assertively walk out of the area. 

It if is breeding and pupping season (between the months of February and July) you may be near a den and 
considered a threat. In this case it is important not to haze coyotes as normal, because coyotes will defend 
the den site and you’ll only be escalating a situation, causing undue stress on the coyote and potentially 
forcing a coyote to act out defensively. During these months, the best thing to do is to slowly and calmly 
walk away without ever turning your back on the coyote. Stay tall and assertive as you leave the area, even 
if it means walking backwards. Coyotes will sometimes follow you for a distance to escort you out of their 
territory, and turning your back may invite them to come in closer to hurry you on your way. Maintaining 
eye contact and an assertive posture keeps things balanced by letting the coyote know they do not have the 
upper hand while still respecting the coyotes’ defense of their den site. 

Report overly brazen coyotes. If a coyote comes too close, follows you for too long, acts overly assertive or 
does not respond to hazing, report the coyote to animal control authorities. The coyote may have become 
habituated to humans or is being fed by someone, which can result in aggressive behavior. (Never feed the 
local wildlife!) If this is the case, it may be that the coyote can be hazed by trained officials to reverse its 
behavior or, as unfortunately is often the case, may have to be removed. 

The media is rather one-sided when it comes to coyotes, reporting with sensationalistic fervor all the 
instances that coyotes have conflicts with pets, but ignoring the instances where an encounter is harmless 
or a coyote is actually defending itself or territory against an intruding dog, rather than being the aggressor. 
This results in myths and misconceptions about life among coyotes. 

While there can be misunderstandings about what is happening during an encounter, what is readily 
apparent is that the best thing for humans, dogs and coyotes living in the same area is minimize the 
possibility of an encounter. Play your role in maintaining a coyote’s fear of humans, and by extension, a 
distance from pets. Respect your pets and local wildlife. Cohabitate peacefully. Love and let live. 

CHRISTOPHER Nyerges 


TREATING UPPER RESPIRATORY ISSUES -- AND THE FLU 
-- WITH HERBS 

Nyerges has led and organized ethnobotany walks since 1974. He is the author of Guide to Wild 
Foods and Useful Plants, How to Survive Anywhere, and other books. Information about his 
classes and books is available from School of Self-Reliance, Box 41834, Los Angeles, CA 90041, or 
www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com. The following information came interviews with Dr. James Adams,
recently retired pharma-cologist at USC. Dr. Adams is the author of “Healing with Medicinal Plants.” 

PART ONE 
It seems that sore throats, coughs, colds, and flus have afflicted people forever, whether resulting from theproximate causes of pollen, dust, woodsmoke, or from talking too much, or yelling, or even from “catching”
something from another person. And of course, this year we also have Covid-19 to contend with.
Fortunately, there are quite a few natural remedies which help relieve the pain and discomfort of theseconditions, and many of these have been used for at least centuries. 

Strong Immune SystemThe primary purpose of your immune system is to protect you against all pathogens. Your immune sys-temdecides what is allowed into your body and reacts to kill pathogens. It contains a myriad of cells, each with aspecific purpose. When it functions correctly, all cells work in concert to attack and kill any pathogens thatenter your body. These cells also work together to collect antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals and send themto the correct system (vascular, muscular, urinary, etc.). When your immune sys-tem is not working correctly,
your body is wide open to any all bacteria and viruses. 

You strengthen your immune system by daily exercise, eating a healthy diet, getting enough light (or tak-ingVitamin D), getting adequate sleep 7-8 hours, and maintaining a healthy gut. One could also take hot baths(the sweating allows toxins to leave your body), eat a healthy diet (low on meat, high in greens, rich in phytonutrients), 
and take supplements known to support a strong immune system, such as D3, and B complex. 

According to Enrique Villasenor, a healer and assistant to Dr. James Adams, a common question from studentsis "Why do people get sick?" Dr. Adams responds that "You get sick because you are ‘not living in balance.’ 
That's one big reason people with serious medical conditions are succumbing to Covid-19 so easily. Theirimmune systems are already compromised. One or more systems are not func-tioning correctly. Covid comesin and easily attacks those systems. At the beginning of Covid-19, doc-tors were confused as to why somepeople would crash and have simultaneous, multiple or-gan failure. And others have had milder symptoms 
because they have a healthier immune system.” 

Equally important is having a positive attitude, and being able to laugh and cry with regularity. Science has 
measured an increased level of antibodies that fight off infection in the testing of individuals who are happyand determined to live. It’s not just folklore to say that a good attitude keeps you healthy! 

PRICKLY PEAR CACTUS (Opuntia spp).
The use of the prickly pear cactus for food and medicine goes back thousands of years, especially in Mexico.
The fact that eating (or drinking) products from the pads helps to cure adult onset diabetes (type 2), and lowerscholesterol levels, and improves the immune system, has been widely document-ed. The best single source of 
clinical documentation is “Prickly Pear Cactus Medicine” by Ran Knishin-sky. 

The cactus pads can be juiced and used as a drink. They have long been cooked with eggs, potatoes, and madeinto a variety of dishes. But to maintain the health benefits, the cactus pads should be lightly cooked, if cookedat all. 

NEXT TIME: SPECIFIC HERBS FOR THE UPPER RESPIRATORY SYSTEM 

BABY JAXSON! 

Here’s another of our sweet 
baby kittens: JAXSON is only

1.5 months old. He’s all black, 
and will be a handsome and 
sleek panther kitty when he 
grows up. 
He will be delivery-ready in 

June after he gets his vaccinesand neuter. See more kittens on our website’s Babies page,
and we would like to have two adopted together or else haveanother young cat at home. See the Adoption Procedurespage to apply. Submit your application now. www.lifelineforpets.org. 

Pet of the Week

 Bernie is thirteen years young and is lookingfor his forever lap. Bernie is a calm, relaxedkitty, and will seek out attention with a soft 
meow or a gentle glance in your direction. Heenjoys attention and just can’t get enough love!
Bernie would enjoy a quiet home where he cansnuggle up with you on the couch, or take longnaps in a warm sunbeam.

 The adoption fee for cats is $100. All catadoptions include spay or neuter, microchip,
and age-appropriate vaccines. 

 
New adopters will receive a complimentaryhealth-and-wellness exam from VCA Animal Hospitals, as well as a goody bag filledwith information about how to care for your pet.

 View photos of adoptable pets and schedule a virtual adoption appointment atpasadenahumane.org. Adoptions are by appointment only, and new adoptionappointments are available every day at 5:00 p.m. for the following day. 

Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters byphone calls or email. 

All Things By Jeff Brown 
ONE DAY AT A TIME 
“As more and more of the population is vaccinated, governments need to give Americansan off-ramp to the post-pandemic world.Ending outdoor mask man-dates is a good placeto start.Requiring that people always wear masks when they leave home,and especially inplaces wtih low levels of viral transmission, is over-kill.Covid-19 is basically an indoor/
talking disease.The coronavirus disperses out-side, posing little risk to people who arewalking alone or even swiftly passing by strangers.In fact,almost all of the documentedcases of outdoor transmission have involved long conversations or face to face yelling.Sogo outside,get vaccinat-ed,and get your life back.” Derek Thompson in TheAtlantic.com 
Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com