Coyote Pack Occupies Abandoned West Hollywood Construction Site

A pack of coyotes has taken up residence at a vacant construction site in West Hollywood, according to a report from ABC7 Los Angeles, with the outlet describing nighttime activity at the stalled project as loud enough to draw notice from people nearby.

What did ABC7 Los Angeles report about the West Hollywood site?

The station's account identifies the location only as an abandoned construction site in West Hollywood where a pack of coyotes has settled in. The report characterizes the animals as loud, but the material available does not specify the exact address, the number of coyotes in the pack, how long they have been on the property, or whether the property owner, the city of West Hollywood, or county wildlife officials have responded. Those details were not included in the portion of the report accessible at publication.

Why do coyotes move into stalled construction sites?

Vacant construction sites share features that make them attractive to coyotes looking for shelter: they are typically fenced off from regular foot traffic, they sit undisturbed for long stretches once a project stalls, and they often contain piles of building material, pipe, and excavated earth that can double as den cover. Los Angeles has a well-established coyote population that moves through hillside canyons, golf courses, parks, and vacant lots across the region, and a project that has gone quiet for months offers many of the same conditions as those more natural refuges, minus the foot traffic.

How common is coyote activity at Los Angeles construction sites?

Coyote sightings in and around West Hollywood and the broader Los Angeles basin are not unusual; the animals are established in urban canyons and residential neighborhoods throughout the region. What distinguishes the site ABC7 Los Angeles described is the presence of a pack — multiple animals occupying one location — rather than the lone or paired sightings more commonly reported on sidewalks or in backyards. The report does not say whether the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control, the city of West Hollywood, or the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has been contacted about the site.

What should people avoid doing near abandoned construction sites with wildlife?

For anyone drawn to photograph or explore a fenced, inactive construction site, wildlife presence is one of several warning signs worth taking seriously. A companion piece from Urban Explorer Karl, "When to Leave: Identifying Structural Red Flags," walks through signals that indicate a site is unsafe to enter, including unstable scaffolding, exposed rebar, standing water, and animal activity. A den or active pack at a site adds both a physical hazard, from unpredictable animal behavior, and a legal one, since most stalled construction sites remain private property regardless of how long they sit idle.

Interest in documenting abandoned and stalled developments is not limited to Los Angeles. A related dispatch on industrial tourism, "Industrial Tourism Gains Popularity in China," describes a parallel trend of visitors seeking out decommissioned factories and halted projects abroad, a reminder that curiosity about vacant sites, and the hazards that come with them, extends well beyond any one neighborhood.

What happens next at the West Hollywood site?

ABC7 Los Angeles's report does not indicate what action, if any, follows the sighting. Coyote management in Los Angeles County typically involves a mix of city code enforcement, county animal control, and, in cases involving aggressive behavior toward people or pets, state wildlife authorities, but the current report does not specify which agency, if any, has been notified about the West Hollywood site. Whether the property's owner or developer has taken steps to further secure the site, and whether the stalled project has a resumption date, were also not addressed in the available report.

Has the property owner commented on the coyote pack?

The ABC7 Los Angeles report does not include a statement from the site's owner, developer, or general contractor, and no response from those parties was quoted or paraphrased in the account reviewed for this story. Stalled construction projects in West Hollywood and elsewhere in Los Angeles County commonly sit under private ownership even after work halts, which means decisions about fencing, lighting, or wildlife deterrents at the property rest with whoever holds the title or lease rather than with the city. Absent a public statement, it remains unclear whether anyone connected to the project has visited the site since the coyote activity was reported.

Where can readers follow updates on this story?

The ABC7 Los Angeles report linked above is the only account of the West Hollywood coyote pack available at publication, and no follow-up coverage, agency statement, or city notice had surfaced in the material reviewed. Readers seeking updates on enforcement action, wildlife-agency involvement, or the construction project's status should watch for additional reporting from ABC7 Los Angeles, since neither the City of West Hollywood nor county wildlife officials had issued public comment in the source reviewed.