NEWTON, MASS. (WHDH) - Residents in Newton are on edge, concerned and fearful for their pets after a large coyote was spotted over the weekend roaming the city streets with a cat in its mouth.
Several coyotes have been spotted near “The Cove” playground in the city’s Auburndale section, with the most recent sighting coming on Saturday.
One resident said she was stunned when she caught a glimpse of the coyote strolling about, holding the cat firmly in its jaws.
“I was stunned because he was so big and bulky. He was much bigger than any coyote I had ever seen,” Joyce Hynds told 7’s Jonathan Hall.
Hynds said the coyote was larger than her 80-pound black labs.
“He was very blatant,” Hynds said of the animal. “He was very proud of what he had.”
Joanna O’Malley, a fellow Auburndale resident, said her $1,500 cat accidentally got outside and has been missing for three weeks. She thinks a coyote attacked the cat.
“He could be part wolf, so I think we have a big problem here,” O’Malley’s brother, Zach Sambucci said. “It could get a kid.”
Dozens of sightings have been reported in recent weeks, according to a coyote tracker on the city’s website.
Animal control officers do not think the animal is part wolf. Coyotes cannot be euthanized unless they’re posing an imminent threat, according to state law.
Coyote attacks on humans are very rare, according to officials.
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