CAPE CORAL, Fla. — There is shock and concern in one cape coral neighborhood after a young girl spotted a coyote on her way home from school.
"My dad and I were just driving by and we just saw it. I was just like ‘Hey look there’s a dog!’ it is probably hurt. We went closer and saw it and it was bigger than a dog; it was a coyote," says Scout Hawk.
The coyote was lying dead in the median on Oasis Boulevard near Oasis High School.
Florida wildlife expert Meredith Budd says because the area is surrounded by woods, it is a prime location for coyotes.
"They are typically really shy and elusive so encounters with people are relatively rare but they are here in all 67 counties," says Budd.
Budd says this time of year more coyotes and other wildlife could be on the move due to colder temperatures.
This is why people should take proper precautions.
"Coyotes are opportunistic feeders so they’re going to be drawn to come and eat any sort of potential food source. So securing your garbage and securing any sort of food, that’s going to be the best way to avoid any sort of potential conflict," says Budd.
Cape coral wildlife activist Pascha Donaldson was alerted by her neighbors to the dead coyote. She decided to return the animal to the woods.
It appears the coyote was hit by a dog.
She says this is the second coyote she's seen in the area and wants people to slow down while driving to prevent accidents like this from happening.
"Even in the morning when I walk the dog the people are speeding. The parents are rushing to get the kids to school and they need to slow down. Especially dusk to dawn, if you’re driving at sunset or sunrise you need to drive slowly because that's when animals are active," says Donaldson.
