HAMPTON, Va. — More and more people are posting online about coyote sightings in Hampton, including city officials who shared the increase in reports on the city's website. Despite this, officials say the sightings aren't unusual.
One man told 13News Now he got a photo of the wild animal walking around the downtown area a few days ago.
“He was so close that I felt like he could have jumped through my window, that’s how close he was," said Hampton resident Anthony Finney.
While driving down Kecoughtan Road last weekend, Finney said he passed a coyote and immediately pulled out his phone.
"As I pulled up on it, it came across the street and I was like wow! It was huge," Finney described.
Finney said he posted the pictures to Facebook after seeing other Hampton residents do the same.
Over by Buckroe Beach, Jason Leighton said he always hears the wild animals.
“Certainly we have seen coyote tracks; you hear them at night, normally 3 o’clock in the morning," Leighton said. "Sometimes when they get going they will cackle pretty loudly.”
Leighton said about two years ago, he started to notice more coyotes in the Buckroe area. He says he thinks more flood mitigation in the city could help keep coyotes in their natural habitats.
"A lot of houses being built, a lot of just natural ground being moved and shifted and then you have flooding, so where do you expect these animals to go," Leighton said.
Hampton city spokesman Mike Holtzclaw said the animal response team reports about a dozen to two dozen verified sightings a year. He said it’s not unusual for the area to have coyotes.
“It certainly is not a problem," Holtzclaw said. "It is not anything that is causing concern. It’s just best to be prepared.”
Coyotes are found throughout the state and in city and suburban areas, according to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.
Officials with Hampton’s Animal Response Team said coyotes typically avoid people and are helpful when they eat nuisance critters. However, Holtzclaw said if you run into one, make a loud noise.
"You shout at it, you don’t run at it," he explained. "You want to scare it back into its natural habitat because it’s best for us and the coyotes if they remain afraid of humans.”
A city spokesperson said Hampton Animal Control staff are not allowed to trap or capture wild animals, but they recommend people hire trappers licensed by the state. For more tips on how to deter coyotes check out the the City of Hampton's website or Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.