INITIAL ALERTWebsite
Verified verbatimPepperdine Emergency Information official archive — 'Subject: Malibu Campus Coyote Awareness' advisory (March 24, 2023)856 chars
Subject: Malibu Campus Coyote Awareness. Following several coyote sightings on the Malibu campus during the spring 2023 term, Pepperdine would like to educate the University community regarding what to do when coyotes are seen on campus to ensure all are informed of, but not alarmed by, the wildlife with whom we share the Santa Monica Mountains. If you see a coyote on or near the Malibu campus, please report the incident to Public Safety at 310.506.4441. Respect the animal. Do not feed wildlife. Do not approach the animal; leave space for the animal to escape. Maintain eye contact and move away slowly. Do not run. Running could trigger the animal's instinct to chase you. Appear as large, loud, and powerful as possible. Shine a bright light at the animal, especially at night. If there are small children or pets present, pick them up immediately.
Verbatim text of the March 24, 2023 advisory as published on Pepperdine's official Emergency Information site; its signature phrase 'informed of, but not alarmed by, the wildlife with whom we share the Santa Monica Mountains' is a standard formulation Pepperdine adopted after the February 2022 mountain lion dog kill and applies to subsequent wildlife notifications as a deliberate coexistence-over-alarm messaging strategy.
The instruction 'Appear as large, loud, and powerful as possible' reflects hazing technique protocol for coyotes, distinct from mountain lion protocol (where noise and size also help) and black bear protocol, demonstrating that Pepperdine maintains species-specific response guidance for its resident wildlife.
Pepperdine biology professor Javier Monzon and student researcher Lucian Himes ('23) published research around this same time confirming that urban coyotes near the Malibu campus were less fearful of humans than rural coyotes, making this advisory particularly resonant as the campus simultaneously studied and communicated about the same animal.