Coyote Spotted In Paramus Monday

PARAMUS, NJ — A woman reported seeing a coyote in the borough Monday night.

The woman said she saw the animal at 7:15 p.m. on her way to the Valley Hospital in Ridgewood near George Washington Memorial Park cemetery. It is the fourth reported sighting of a coyote in Bergen County in recent days. A coyote was seen three times in Haworth Sunday and Monday, prompting police to warn residents to stay away from the animal.

Coyotes tend to move in groups and can migrate from one community to another looking for a place to live and food, said Larry Hajna, a spokesman with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

"They are found in all types of landscapes —agricultural areas, woodlands, suburbs, even urban areas, — and a are rarely seen," Hajna said.

But despite their reclusive nature, coyote sightings are on the rise in Bergen County.

"If someone sees a coyote that is showing no fear of people, local animal control should be contacted so they can make an assessment," Hajna said. "If the animal is deemed to be a public safety threat or a possible carrier of diseases it will be euthanized."

Coyotes were seen in Saddle River County Park in May 2016.

A coyote that attacked and bit a man walking his dog in Norwood in 2015 tested positive for rabies. That animal was later found and euthanized. A female coyote was found near a Norwood school and a den was not far away.

Coyotes were also spotted in Paramus, Ridgewood, Midland Park, and Harrington Park in 2015.

Related: Coyote Sightings On The Rise In Bergen County

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