Wildlife in San Diego Neighborhoods

• City of San Diego: San Diego Humane Society. The City's Animal Services page says San Diego Humane Society serves as its primary animal control agency, and gives 619-299-7012 ext. 1, open 24 hours a day, for an animal-related emergency or an imminent threat or danger to animals or humans. San Diego Humane Society is a nonprofit; its Project Wildlife program cares for injured, sick and orphaned wild animals.
• Unincorporated areas: County Department of Animal Services. Its wildlife page says it will respond when a wild animal is "posing an immediate threat to humans or other animals," is sick or injured, too young to survive on its own, or trapped, and when a rabies vector "(raccoons, skunks, bats, foxes or coyotes, for example)" has attacked you or your pet. It also says: "We do not respond to reports of wildlife being loose or simply roaming," and "We cannot help you with wildlife nuisance problems like skunks under your porch or opossums raiding your pet's food."
• The State: California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). CDFW's Human-Wildlife Conflicts Toolkit describes CDFW as "the State's trustee agency for fish and wildlife." Its online Wildlife Incident Reporting (WIR) system takes reports of human-wildlife conflict and property damage and assigns each to a CDFW investigator by location; the WIR page notes a high volume of reports and says to call 911 if you are in imminent danger. The South Coast Region, which serves San Diego County, lists its main office (3883 Ruffin Road, San Diego) at 858-467-4201.
• Wildlife violations: CalTIP. CDFW's CalTIP line, 1-888-334-2258, is for "a poaching or polluting incident or any fish and wildlife violation." It operates 24 hours a day, and "You do not have to give your name."
• Covered in other guides. Dead animals, stray pets and the drop-off details for injured wildlife: dead and stray animals guide. Mosquitoes, rats, dead birds and County bee rules: mosquitoes, rats and pests guide. Loose or dangerous dogs: dogs guide.

CDFW's coyote page says coyotes "are native to California and can be seen in diverse habitats, including rural, residential, and urban areas," and may be heard calling "any time of day or night." The County's Animal Services says it does not respond to wildlife that is loose or simply roaming. Our dead and stray animals guide lists CDFW's advice for a coyote that approaches you.

• If it makes contact. CDFW says: "If a coyote makes contact, fight back! Then call Animal Control or 9-1-1."
• Conflicts and incidents. Report coyote incidents through CDFW's Wildlife Incident Reporting system.
• Feeding makes it worse. CDFW says coyotes "are at increased risk of becoming food conditioned or habituated due to increased access to non-natural food sources," and that "Some people do not realize the harm in feeding wild animals or preventing access to attractants." Besides securing trash and pet food, its "Be Coyote Smart" list includes keeping small livestock and poultry in secure pens at night and keeping bird feeders clean by removing fallen seed that may attract rodents.

• What CDFW says about them. CDFW's raccoon page says raccoons are mostly nocturnal and "may easily become food conditioned or lose their fear of humans if provided access to food." It warns that raccoons leave droppings in the same spot (a latrine), which can expose people and pets to raccoon roundworm. Its skunks and opossums page says Virginia opossums "are not native to California and were first introduced to the state around 1910," and that conflicts with these animals can involve property damage and disease, such as "rabies, skunk roundworm, typhus."
• Under the house or in the attic. As shown above, the County's Animal Services says it cannot help with nuisance wildlife. As of November 3, 2026, we did not find a City or County service that removes raccoons, skunks or opossums from private property, so in practice that falls to the property owner, usually through a licensed business. Renters should contact the landlord. CDFW's toolkit pages link to University of California and USDA guides on preventing damage.
• Trapping is regulated. CDFW's summary of state wildlife laws says: "Use of any net, cage, trap, or poison is unlawful, except as authorized; it is unlawful to capture, possess or confine any wildlife taken from the wild, except as authorized." Its summary of regulations includes Title 14, section 251.1: "No person shall harass, herd, or drive any wildlife, except as authorized."
• Bites and possible rabies. If a wild animal bites or attacks a person, get medical help and call 911 in an emergency. In the City of San Diego, San Diego Humane Society takes animal emergencies at 619-299-7012, press 1. CDFW's regulations summary also notes Title 17, section 2606: anyone who knows of "a rabid or suspected rabid animal, or of any person or animal bitten by a rabid or suspected rabid animal, shall report the facts immediately to a local health officer."

• Bees on private property. The County's Agriculture, Weights and Measures department says on its wild bee page: "The County of San Diego cannot remove feral (wild) honey bees from private property. We do not recommend that you try to remove bees yourself." It suggests a licensed pest control company or a live bee removal company. Its who to call flowchart says removal is the property owner's responsibility, and renters should contact their landlord or property owner. Our pests guide covers beekeeper complaints and the County Bee Hotline.
• Bees on City of San Diego property. The County's flowchart says wild bees on City-owned property go to the city where the bees are. Its list of city contacts for unmanaged bees gives, for San Diego, Public Works at 619-527-7660, after hours 619-527-7500, and Get It Done. As of November 3, 2026, we did not find a bee-specific report type in Get It Done or a City page about bees, so the County's list is the source here. The County's who to call about bees page links all of these documents.
• Wasps and yellowjackets. CDFW's insects page says "The most common wasps in California are paper wasps, yellowjackets, and mud-daubers," that they are predators that help control other insects and spiders, and that they can cause concern "if stung." The County's Vector Control Program does not list wasps among the pests it handles, and the County's bee pages cover honey bees. As of November 3, 2026, we did not find a City or County service that removes wasp or yellowjacket nests, so on private property this is the owner's job.
• Checking a pest control company. The state Structural Pest Control Board's license verification page explains how to look up its licensees through the Department of Consumer Affairs License Search.

San Diego Humane Society's Wildlife Help Hub is the first stop. It has self-help guides for birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians that walk you through whether an animal actually needs help, and how to handle and bring it in safely if it does. Its drop-off location and hours are in our dead and stray animals guide.

• Do not raise it yourself. Project Wildlife says it rehabilitates native wildlife and migratory birds under permits from CDFW and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and warns that caring for wildlife without the right permits can harm the animal and lead to fines. CDFW's summary of state law, quoted above, says it is unlawful to capture, possess or confine wildlife taken from the wild except as authorized.
• Other permitted rehabilitators. CDFW's birds page points to its list of wildlife rehabilitation facilities for injured birds. It also notes that raptors (eagles, falcons, hawks, harriers, kites, owls and vultures) are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, in addition to other federal and state laws.
• Dead birds. Some dead birds can be reported for West Nile virus testing; see our pests guide.

CDFW's rattlesnake page says: "Rattlesnakes are generally not aggressive and will avoid people. They usually retreat if given safe space to move and not provoked or threatened." Its snakes page adds: "Most human bites occur when a rattlesnake is handled or accidentally touched by someone who is walking or climbing near it."

• A bite is an emergency. CDFW says, for a rattlesnake bite, "call 9-1-1 and seek medical attention immediately," and that "A startled rattlesnake may NOT rattle before striking defensively," so "all bites from a rattlesnake should be treated as a venomous bite until appropriate medical attention is provided."
• A snake in the house or at the door. San Diego Humane Society's Humane Law Enforcement page says its field team responds to rattlesnake calls when the snake is causing imminent danger to people or pets, for example inside a home or business or blocking an entrance or exit. Call 619-299-7012, press 1. A snake simply passing through the yard is not that kind of call.
• Around the house. The County Department of Animal Services rattlesnake brochure says "the easiest way to deter rattlesnakes is to remove their food source, namely rodents," and to seal gaps under doors. If you meet one, it says to "stand still until you have located the snake, then walk away from it calmly." Its tips include staying on paths and trails, keeping dogs on leash while hiking, and checking the yard before letting pets and children out where rattlesnakes have been found.

• When to report. NOAA says to report a live whale or dolphin on the beach, an entangled whale or dolphin in the water, "a live pinniped on the beach for more than 24 hours," an obviously sick or injured animal hauled out for less than 24 hours, and any dead marine mammal.
• Who to call. NOAA's reporting page lists SeaWorld of California, 800-541-7325, for live animal response in San Diego County, and the West Coast Region Stranding Hotline, 866-767-6114. For entangled marine mammals, NOAA lists 1-877-767-9425; for harassment and other violations, the NOAA Enforcement Hotline, 1-800-853-1964. Dead animals and sea turtles are covered in our beach and bay guide.
• Hands off. NOAA says: "Do not disturb, move, touch, or feed a marine mammal!" and that all marine mammals are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, making it "illegal for unauthorized persons to harass, handle, or feed them." CDFW's marine mammals page says the same. NOAA also notes that some diseases can pass from marine mammals to people.

• The park rule. San Diego Municipal Code section 63.0102(c)(10) says: "It is unlawful to take, kill, wound, disturb, or maltreat any bird or animal, either wild or domesticated," in City parks, unless the animal has been declared noxious by the City Manager and a permit issued.
• Park Rangers. The City's Open Space Parks Ranger Program page lists rangers for Mission Trails Regional Park (619-668-3281), Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve (858-538-8066 or 858-484-7504), the Tri-Canyon parks including Tecolote Canyon, Marian Bear and Rose Canyon (858-581-9961), and the Canyons and Parkland Program for urban canyons (619-235-5262).
• Park rule violations. Get It Done's Park Enforcement form is for Municipal Code violations in City parks, such as dogs off leash or damage to native habitat; it says reports may not get an immediate response, and to call 911 for an emergency or active crime. Our park and playground guide covers other park problems.