A Chicago residents spotted an interesting sight just blocks from the Magnificent Mile as a coyote was wandering around the Streeterville neighborhood Sunday.
NBC 5 viewer Sarah Neukom spotted the animal near the Ogden Slip while she was walking her dog, with the coyote running through yards of townhomes in the area.
Chicago Animal Control officials said they have received calls of coyote sightings this week, but caution that sightings are normal, and unless the animal is behaving in a threatening or erratic manner, they are typically skittish and won’t bother humans.
According to officials with the Forest Preserves of DuPage County, late February is typically an active time period for coyotes, as breeding season peaks in late February and early March.
Coyote pups are then born in early-to-mid April, and are typically raised in dens, according to officials.
Residents are urged to keep cats indoors in areas where coyotes are known to roam, and to pick up small dogs when encountering a coyote. Residents are also asked to keep dogs on leashes to limit the chances of an encounter with a coyote.
If a coyote comes too close, residents are asked not to run, but instead to stand up taller, to make eye contact with the animal and to create loud noises to scare them away.
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