OVIEDO, Fla. – A Seminole County community is on alert after a coyote was spotted over the weekedn in a subdivision near Hagerty High School.
The coyote was seen on Carnaby Drive in the West Hampton subdivision.
A neighbor grabbed his camera to catch a glimpse of it, while other families with small pets are staying vigilant.
Early Saturday morning, Dakota, an eager fox hound, tore through her owner's pool screen enclosure, chasing after what the owner thought was another dog.
"At first, I thought I saw what was a German shepherd, but it was a coyote, and a large one," Howard Stockett said.
Stockett, an amateur wildlife photographer, quickly grabbed his camera, getting clear shots of the golden coyote. It was big enough to take down Dakota.
"It just kind of stood its ground, and then my dog stood its ground and retreated," Stockett said.
It was not the first time wildlife has camped out in the West Hampton neighborhood. Last month, next door neighbor Jackie Berry saw a bear.
"I came out and I looked up and the bear was staring right at me," Berry said.
She said lately she's been fearful for her cat.
"We got to watch our little animals and cats and dogs," Berry said.
Recently, another coyote was caught on camera snatching up a cat outside a home near Indian Harbor Beach. Now, trappers are using drones to help find and relocate it.
Berry said she feels sorry for the animals who are pushed from their natural habitats.
"Where else can they go?" she said. "You know, it's sad. It's really sad. I'm an animal lover, and there are a lot of animal lovers, and I feel bad for them, but at the same time, they are very dangerous."
Wildlife officials said anyone who sees a wild animal should not engage it or feed it, but should report it to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission.