ANVATO EMBED TEST STORY
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) – A coyote sighting on the Upper West Side Wednesday morning has residents on edge.
The coyote was spotted around 5 a.m. at Riverside Park along the Hudson River, between 96th and 79th streets, police said.
The wild animal was also seen in and around the park and near Grant's Tomb Wednesday afternoon, CBS2's Steve Langford reported.
Chopper2 was over the scene at Riverside Park near Riverside Drive and 83rd Street where emergency service units were combing the area.
Police officers walking around with snares were also searching for the reported coyote, CBS2 reported.
Coyote Sighting Reported On Upper West Side
"I thought they were going after people with dogs off the leash and then I saw about a 50-pound coyote, kind of brindle color, running north and then the coyote running south and then all these cop cars chasing it," one witness told WCBS 880's Paul Murnane.
The witness said the coyote didn't appear to be aggressive, it just wanted to get away.
"Hopefully they can catch it and release it back to the wild I guess and nobody gets hurt," Sophia Munoz told CBS2.
"It seems like the city is not far from the forest and maybe people should be careful," Mariem Hasni said.
"I feel bad for the coyote. I think he can probably be in a better place so if they catch him and release him it's better for him it's better for the neighborhood," Upper West Side resident Lily Korolkoff said.
Last week, police captured a coyote in the courtyard of a church in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood. They used a dart gun to shoot the animal with a sedative. It was removed to an animal care facility.
Multiple dens of coyotes have also been found in suburban New Jersey communities, including the town of Norwood where a man out walking his dog was bit on the leg by one.
That coyote was captured and has tested positive for rabies, Norwood police said.
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