MIAMI SPRINGS, FLA. (WSVN) — Residents in Miami Springs are expressing concern after a coyote was spotted behind a home.
“They’re dangerous. They’re aggressive, that’s what scares me with the kids and the cats, the animals,” said Yolanda Sauer.
Residents became alarmed after a family saw the coyote moving through several backyards near the 100 block of Shadow Drive on Friday.
Yolanda Sauer told 7News she noticed several police officers near her home when she first heard about the coyote.
“A whole bunch of police officers were at my house and I said, ‘What happened?’ And he goes, ‘There’s a very aggressive coyote in your backyard,’” she said.
Surveillance video captured the coyote sprinting through the family’s backyard around 10 a.m. on Friday.
The chaos unfolded around the time Yolanda would normally take her teacup chihuahua outside.
“He jumped the fence into this neighbor’s house and he jumped from there, I guess, to the back,” said Yolanda.
Yolanda’s son, Charles, who lives next door, said the family’s dogs aren’t the only pets at risk.
“We have African sulcata tortoises. He just went up to it and just was like sniffing it,” said Charles. “I saw him through the palms and he was running around.”
In the footage, the coyote is seen approaching their pet tortoise, Bubble, staring it down as the tortoise stood its ground. Moments later, the coyote turned and left.
Another neighbor captured the coyote from a different angle and posted the video on Facebook to alert the community.
“I felt safe with our backyard here until right now,” said Yolanda.
In a neighborhood often filled with children playing on Friday afternoons, the Sauer family is concerned about everyone’s safety.
“I don’t want to see it hurt but I don’t want to see a child hurt either,” said Yolanda.
The Miami Springs Police Department confirmed the coyote has been captured and there is no longer any danger to residents.
Officials advise anyone who encounters a coyote to make loud noises to scare it away and to keep pets indoors whenever possible.
This article has been carefully fact-checked by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and eliminate any misleading information. We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity in our content.
Leave a Reply