Have you had a scary backyard encounter with a coyote, a raccoon or a poisonous spider or snake? If so, a New York production company would like to talk to you.

Pangolin Pictures wants to feature local residents on an hourlong documentary that will air on the Discovery Channel later this year, associate producer Justin Weinrich said.

“It looks at how humans and animals coexist and all the issues that go along with that,” Weinrich said. “We are not making these animals into villains, but we are explaining why people should maintain a healthy fear of them and what can be done to share a habitat without conflict.”

The documentary will also look at why encounters are becoming more frequent and will follow biologists who are studying the animals, he said.

What they also want to include are “survivor” stories of people who’ve had close encounters, whether they were attacked themselves or rescued a beloved pet or a child from an animal, Weinrich said.

The documentary will also include alligator and fire ant encounters.

“Obviously, some of those aren’t going to be found in California, but I would love to speak with anyone who has had scary encounters with coyotes, raccoons, spiders or snakes,” the producer said.

Weinrich might be surprised to learn that California Fish and Game have captured alligators in Thousand Oaks, like the one in October 2007 that was wandering around near Erbes and Pederson roads.

That wild animal, which ended up at an animal actors facility, may already have a TV gig.

Still, Weinrich said he’ll be focused mainly on the portion of the show dedicated to coyotes when he comes to this area.

Pangolin Pictures has another show airing on the Discovery Channel, and although it appeared on Feb. 14, “Killer Whales & Nasty by Nature” wasn’t very romantic.

To be considered for the scary backyard animal show, contact Weinrich by e-mail at justin@pangolinpictures.com.