Coyote spotted in North Wildwood, pet owners warned to keep animals inside
NORTH WILDWOOD, N.J. (CBS) -- People are buzzing after police say they've received multiple reports of a coyote running around in North Wildwood.
It's a video that surprises people visiting North Wildwood for the Easter weekend.
"That's crazy," Skyla Lombo said. "That's so cool."
"Holy cow," Doug and Christina Haltmeier said. "Oh wow in the middle of the day, he's just running around!?"
Jamie Plata recorded a cell phone video of a coyote running down West 15th Avenue near New Jersey Avenue on Tuesday.
The video surprised people visiting town for the Easter weekend.
"That's crazy." Skyla Lombo said. "I think that's really interesting. I mean, it's like the beach, so you wouldn't expect anything like that, especially seeing it during the day."
"Oh wow," Christina Haltmeier said. "In the middle of the day, he's just running around!?"
On Wednesday, Marjorie Fox said she saw the same coyote running near Margaret Mace Public School.
"I was like, 'Oh my goodness,'" Fox said. "Thankfully, the cop in front of me had seen it, and he just did a little u-turn and drove down the street following it."
She said it was a bit scary because it was right around the time school was letting out.
"It's surprising because I've lived here for 35 years, and I've never seen a coyote here on the island," Fox said.
It's not the first time a coyote's been spotted in North Wildwood.
A mom and her daughter spotted another coyote at night more than a year ago. Video from wildwood.eats on Instagram.
"It's wildlife getting crazy," Tom Boswell said, "They're building offshore so they're chasing them onto the inland."
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection says coyotes can be found throughout the state including in Cape May County though they're not typically spotted in heavily populated areas.
North Wildwood police say coyotes typically are skittish around people and stay away from them but they're warning pet owners to keep their cats inside and their dogs close to them when out walking.
Tom Kelleher said his family will take North Wildwood Police Department's warning to pet owners seriously.
"We do have a daughter coming down with her cat this weekend so we're told we have to keep the cats indoors for that," Kelleher said.
Still, many people say it might mean more videos to share with all their friends.
