Coyote Spotted In East Hanover Neighborhood

EAST HANOVER, NJ — A coyote was spotted in an East Hanover neighborhood Wednesday morning, and was caught on video.

In the video, below, the coyote is seen wandering around a backyard near a trampoline and a children's play set. Later in the video, the coyote crosses into another backyard before running away from the camera.

While this coyote was seen in the Frank J Smith School area, they can turn up anywhere. Coyotes are in all of New Jersey's counties, but have the densest population in the Skylands area.

Usually coyotes are harmless, but they can cary rabies. The DEP has the following tips to reduce the likelihood of conflicts with coyotes:

• Never feed a coyote. Deliberately feeding coyotes puts pets and other residents in the neighborhood at risk.
• Feeding pet cats and/or feral (wild) cats outdoors can attract coyotes. The coyotes feed on the pet food and also prey upon the cats.
• Put garbage in tightly closed containers that cannot be tipped over.
• Remove sources of water, especially in dry climates.
• Bring pets in at night.
• Put away bird feeders at night to avoid attracting rodents and other coyote prey.
• Provide secure enclosures for rabbits, poultry, and other farm animals.
• Pick up fallen fruit and cover compost piles.
• Although extremely rare, coyotes have been known to attack humans. Parents should monitor their children, even in familiar surroundings, such as backyards.
• Install motion-sensitive lighting around the house.
• Clear brush and dense weeds from around dwellings - this reduces protective cover for coyotes and makes the area less attractive to rodents and rabbits. Coyotes, as well as other predators, are attracted to areas where rodents are concentrated like woodpiles.
• If coyotes are present, make sure they know they're not welcome. Make loud noises, blast a canned air siren, throw rocks, or spray them with a garden hose.

Have you seen a coyote or other unusual animal in your backyard? Send photos and video to EastHanover-FlorhamPark@Patch.com.

Image via Flickr, used under Creative Commons