BOSTON (WHDH) - A coyote recently caught attention in Boston’s North End after being spotted roaming the neighborhood’s streets.
Dog owners in the area spoke to 7NEWS said the animal has been the talk of the turf at their local dog park.
“He was definitely a big coyote,” said concerned dog owner Michaela Burke.
“I’ll definitely be a bit more cautious and cognisant of my surroundings now, knowing they could be lurking anywhere,” said dog owner Josh Svoboda.
One video taken by a North End dog owner around 5:30 Tuesday morning documented the coyote moving through the area.
The dog owner said she had just brought her dogs in from a walk and was heading off to work when she saw the large and seemingly healthy wild animal on the prowl near Snow Hill and Sheafe streets.
According to the city of Boston’s animal control website, coyote sighting calls tend to go up as the weather gets colder.
The same website says urban coyote sightings have been on the rise across Massachusetts.
“There’s a playground here, there’s a ton of small kids that run around, so it’s very concerning for all of us,” Burke said.
One dog owner speaking off camera said she contacted animal control with concerns about child and pet safety. She claimed the city said there was nothing that could be done because coyotes are protected.
“I think that’s kind of unacceptable when an apex predator comes into a city environment where there’s tons of vulnerable victims like dogs and kids and people in general,” Burke said.
7NEWS reached out to animal control about the North End sighting but did not hear back as of Thursday night.
In the meantime, the city’s website has tips for what individuals should do if they come across a coyote. Among tips, officials advise individuals to make noise and wave their hands to scare the animals off.
In general, officials say, coyotes tend to avoid humans.
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