DANIA BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - Coyotes are making a comeback, and they’re putting a South Florida community on edge.
A coyote was sighted in Dania Beach over the weekend, and encounters with the wild animals are making residents concerned for themselves and their pets.
“We screamed at it, we yelled at it, and my neighbor came out with a broom, and it would not leave. It was very reluctant to leave,” said Nigel, who spotted the coyote on top of his dog in the middle of the road in his neighborhood.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials said that the coyotes are here to stay. They said the animals are “in all 67 Florida counties,” “in every state but Hawaii,” and that “encounters between people and coyotes in Florida are occurring more often.”
Last year, they were spotted in Tamarac where a coyote killed a man’s dog.
“The coyote comes and runs this way, grabs him by the neck, and drags him out,” said the owner.
Coyotes were also spotted outside of backyards in Margate.
“He walked alongside the canal, and then he was over here,” said a homeowner.
They were even found at the Fort Lauderdale fire station.
“I was completely frozen for a second,” said a Fort Lauderdale firefighter.
They were also seen as far east as Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park in Hollywood.
“Not something I’ve ever seen in South Florida in the 40 years that I’ve lived here,” said a resident.
The FWC said a good way to scare off coyotes is a loud noise.
Nigel said he’s now walking with an air horn, and he wants his neighbors to be careful.
The FWC said coyotes are usually looking for food, so a good preventative measure is not to leave food intentionally or unintentionally outside your house.
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