There is one wildlife officer in the city of Los Angeles. That's right. Count him. One. There used to be two. But the other one was promoted, explained the one who came to talk to Echo Park about coyotes (the canine-animals) and other wild animals last night at Barlow Hospital's meeting room. I'd give you his name, but my house is a mess, and the notebook in which I wrote it has disappeared (possibly the work of a puppy-ish imp or gremlin who also seems to have possession of of my favorite lipsticks, some earrings, favorite pens and, sometimes, my keys. I do not take my keys for granted the way I wish I could. I'm sure I'll find it all stashed in a hidden den in a closet somewhere, hopefully not too far into the distant future.) So this lone wolf of a wildlife officer came, in uniform (when there's only one officer, the meaning of a uniform shifts just a bit), and gave a howl, explaining that it's been a bad year for the coyotes in terms of food and water, and many are sick and desperate. He had tips for keeping them away from people and houses, which he considers essential for their well-being in every way -- Tell that to the Echo Park Animal Alliance member who has a coyoye who likes to lie on his back in her driveway! Anyway, Officer Lone Wolf explained that pups were born in March or April and that the young males are now out looking for territory. He said that eating cats was normal behavior. (Tell THAT to my four cats.) A cat-eater, he said, should not be reported as an aggressive threat, in the same way humans should not be reported to the police for buying cow flesh at the grocery store. Or should they?

*Notebook found -- turns out I am the gremlin! Lone Wolf's real name is Officer Greg Randall (sp?). Randall told the well-attended meeting something interesting: He said it's not true that removal services that trap raccoons, skunks, oppossums take the trapped animals to sanctuaries. They just say they do.