Campus Alert Archive
USC

USC's Resident Coyote: A Community Safety Advisory for the Center of Campus

CAotheradvisorymedium confidence
Under Investigation

In early February 2025, USC's Department of Public Safety issued a Community Safety Advisory after repeated coyote sightings near the center of the University Park campus, including near the Annenberg School and Bing Theatre. DPS reported multiple sightings but no attacks, and advised students not to approach, feed, or pet the animal.

Alerts
1
Response
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Killed
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Injured
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Institution
University of Southern California
Private R1 · CA
~47,000 studentsUSC TrojansAlert / LiveSafe
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

1 message in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTEmail
Approximate reconstructionReconstructed from USC DPS Community Safety Advisory content quoted by Annenberg Media and the Daily Trojan; official DPS advisory page returns HTTP 403 in this environment488 chars
Community Safety Advisory: Coyote on Campus. The Department of Public Safety has received several reports of a coyote near the center of campus. Please do not approach wild (non-domesticated) animals, especially coyotes, and do not feed wild animals or attempt to pet them. If a coyote becomes aggressive, do not run. If you encounter an aggressive coyote on campus, call the DPS emergency number at (213) 740-4321 or report the situation to DPS using the free LiveSafe mobile safety app.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from quoted DPS guidance; the DPS emergency number (213) 740-4321 and the LiveSafe reporting instruction track directly quoted source language.
The 'do not run' instruction reflects the specific coyote-encounter guidance DPS gave, distinguishing this from a generic wildlife note.
Classified as a Community Safety Advisory (USC's discretionary tier) rather than a Clery timely warning, because a coyote sighting with no attack is not a Clery crime.
Context

Background

Coyotes are common across Los Angeles, and in early 2025 one took up residence near the center of USC's University Park campus. The Daily Trojan first reported sightings on February 5, 2025, with additional documented sightings on February 10, 12, and 13 near the Annenberg School for Communication and Bing Theatre. Annenberg Media reported that DPS assistant chief David Carlisle said the department had received several reports of a coyote near the center of campus, and that students should call the DPS emergency number or use the LiveSafe app for aggressive encounters. One student reported the coyote following her and lunging. NBC Los Angeles noted the USC coyote was one of many across the city. DPS said it had received multiple sighting reports but no attacks. The case shows a campus using its discretionary Community Safety Advisory tier for an ongoing wildlife presence rather than a single dramatic incident.
Analysis

Key Findings

USC's Department of Public Safety used a discretionary Community Safety Advisory, not a Clery timely warning, to address a coyote living near the center of campus in February 2025
DPS reported multiple sightings but no attacks, and directed students to call (213) 740-4321 or use the LiveSafe app for aggressive encounters
The advisory responded to an ongoing wildlife presence over several days rather than a single incident, illustrating sustained-risk wildlife messaging
Outcome
No attacks were reported. DPS told students to call its emergency line (213-740-4321) or use the LiveSafe app to report aggressive coyotes, and not to run if confronted.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Student Paper
    Repeated coyote sightings on USC campus leave students concerned - Annenberg Media
    uscannenbergmedia.com
  2. Student Paper
    Coyote sightings on campus raise concern - Daily Trojan
    dailytrojan.com
  3. News
    Coyote spotted near USC just one of many across LA - NBC Los Angeles
    nbclosangeles.com
  4. Official
    Community Safety Advisory Archives - USC Department of Public Safety
    dps.usc.edu
Tags
wildlifecoyoteadvisorycaliforniacommunity-safety-advisoryuscUnder Investigation
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion