In May, The Dallas Express reported increased bobcat and coyote sightings in North Texas.
The sightings raised both concern and curiosity, prompting cities like Frisco to create a map for residents to report animal sightings, including the location and behavior of the animal.
Now, it looks like wildlife activity is picking up once more.
“As we head towards the autumn season, many young coyote pups are starting to explore and become more active, leading to an increase in sightings,” MeLissa Webber, Dallas Animal Services director, previously stated, per DX.
“Small dogs and cats can also attract coyotes to come closer, so we recommend you take simple steps to keep your pets safe by leashing your dog when walking them outside of fenced-in areas and bringing cats indoors,” Webber continued.
Irving residents are joining in, with locals saying they have spotted coyotes lingering in their neighborhoods and green spaces, reported NBC 5 DFW.
“My wife was like, ‘Honey, do you see that? Like, is that a dog?’ I said, ‘That’s definitely not a dog, that’s a coyote,” Cory McMurray, who moved to Irving in May, told NBC 5.
While some are concerned for their small children and pets, others seem to welcome the wild animals, even feeding them.
“We used to see one [coyote] regularly through the green space here, but she was fed by neighbors. They called her Wylie,” Irving resident Manuel Garcia said. “She looked like a puppy and cute, but she definitely was a coyote. You feed them and they’re going to keep coming back.”
However, Irving Animal Services highly cautioned against treating wildlife as pets, posting measures to reduce potential conflict with wild animals, such as “never intentionally feed wildlife, keep trash containers tightly sealed,” and “feed pets indoors or pick up any remaining food after they have had 30 minutes to eat.”
“At the end of the day, coyotes are wild animals, and so that is that natural human instinct kicks in, so we just want to make sure everybody is safe in the area and take precautions,” said McMurray.