'Never have I seen a coyote in town': Charlottetown resident surprised by backyard sighting

A resident in Charlottetown's Brightonneighbourhoodsays he got quite the shock on Monday afternoon.

Mark Steele had just arrived home for lunch, when he saw a coyote dashing across his backyard.

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"It's one of those rare sightings," he said. "We see lots of foxes around, but never have I seen a coyote in town.It was apparent that it was a little panicked and was trying to find a way out of the back yards."

Before the coyoteleft hisyard, Steelemanaged to capture two photos, which he posted to Facebook. The photos have been shared hundreds of times.

"Well, there's been alot of surprise to the fact there are coyotes in the area," said Steele. "And just some concern about children and pets."

No need for panic, say wildlife officials

Chuck Gallison, a provincial wildlife officer, says coyote sightings around Charlottetown are relatively rare just one "every couple of years."

Just scare him for now, and he should find his way out of there.- Chuck Gallison, P.E.I. wildlife officer

He suspects this one is a juvenile coyote, thatlikely came across the ice from the York Point area.

"There's a number of farms over there, and of course the coyotes are there around chicken farms and cattle farms. They're looking for things to eat," said Gallison.

"Younger ones get kicked out of their family group because mating season's on the go and these fellas get the boot. They run all over the place and sometimes wind up where they shouldn't be."

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Gallison said as a precaution, residents should keep their pets in at night, and avoid leaving any food out. He adds that if you do come across a coyote in the city, yelling and screaming at it will help ensure it doesn't stick around for long.

"You've got a wild animal and he's terrified to death," said Gallison.

"You wouldn't want to get him cornered. But I'm almost positive he's not trying to attack anyone. He's not actively hunting. With the bright lights on at night, he's in a stranger area he's not used to, and with any luck, he'll find his way back rather quickly. Just scare him for now, and he should find his way out of there."

Gallisonsaid anyone who does spot a coyote in a residential area shouldreport it to P.E.I. wildlife officials. He stressed that if a coyote is seen "growling at people and becoming quite threatening," officials willbecome more concerned, and look to intervene.

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