Wayzata Police Warning Residents After Coyote Sighting

WAYZATA, Minn. (WCCO) -- The Wayzata Police Department is advising residents to be on alert after a coyote was spotted in the city in the past week.

Authorities say a resident reported that her small dog was attacked by a coyote. Police say they are not uncommon in the Twin Cities metro and many cities have issues dealing with them. Wayzata Police Chief Michael Risvold said unsupervised smaller dogs and cats are particularly vulnerable, especially at night.

Authorities say coyotes are most active from dusk to the early-morning hours. Most of them are afraid of and avoid people. Their primary source of food is small to medium-sized animals like mice and skunks. They are also known to raid garbage cans.

To avoid an interaction with a coyote, make sure to secure your garbage container, wildlife feeder or any pet food you keep outside. Any small pets should not be left outside unsupervised and if you have them outside, they should be on a leash.

Any aggressive coyote behavior should be reported by calling 911 or contacting Wayzata police at (952) 258-5321.