FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - A Fort Lauderdale firefighter is speaking out about his close encounter with a coyote that made its way into his fire station and crept up behind him before scampering off, but not before he was able to take a picture of the furry visitor.
As a first responder, Fort Lauderdale firefighter Dan Scanlon is used to facing dangerous situations, but on Sunday morning, danger was staring right back at him.
“I turn around, and right there, about 2 to 3 feet [away] is a coyote just standing and staring at me,” he said.
Scanlon said he was inside Firehouse 29 when he spotted the creature creeping up behind him.
“I was completely frozen for a second,” he said.
Firehouse 29 had a startling surprise this morning. As they walked around the truck they found a coyote wandering through the bay. Not sure who was startled more as they ran in opposite directions. This station is located in a dense urban neighborhood about a mile from the beach pic.twitter.com/T5pwtrwwbf
— FLFR PIO (@FLFR411) December 13, 2020
In shock and in disbelief, the firefighter somehow managed to snap a picture just before the animal ran away.
“It took off, and that’s when it went into the fenced-off area,” he said.
Area resident Charles Bryant, who lives next door to the station, said he spotted the four-legged drifter.
“He was running around my backyard this morning,” he said.
At first, however, Bryant wasn’t even sure it was a coyote at first.
“He ran through the driveway, out at the park and down the street,” he said. “It was definitely a coyote. I thought it was some kind of a strange dog.”
That’s why the firefighters at Firehouse 29 are putting the word out while being thankful the face-off ended the way it did.
“It was definitely a ‘be careful, don’t get bit but get a photo’ [situation]” said Scanlon, “because no one is going to believe there’s a coyote in the bay of the Fort Lauderdale Fire Department.”
Authorities advise anyone who sees a wild coyote to refrain from approaching it and contact wildlife officials.
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