(Warning: video attached to story may be inappropriate for some)
JEFFERSON PARISH - Surveillance video showing a coyote on the hunt is putting some who live in the neighborhood on heightened alert. Coyotes are smart animals that wildlife officials say are always looking for that easy meal .
For any animal lover, the surveillance video is hard to watch. In it, you see a coyote on the hunt early Tuesday morning snatch a cat from a car's wheel well.
"It's just, I guess I can't believe they've been around our house doing this," said Evelyn Frantz.
Watching it play out on video though is one thing because for Frantz, knowing it happened next door brings it up a notch.
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"My fear is I have four young grandchildren who are all under the age of 5 and I keep reading things they don't go after humans but it still concerns me," she said.
From Lakeview to the Fly, coyotes have been spotted in neighborhoods all over. Even on Dodge Avenue, where this recent attack happened, people say they've seen them.
"My son and I did spot one while riding bikes on the levee before," said David Bartholomew. "It was an adult definitely. Kind of brownish/red. It was really beautiful to look at, not intimidating whatsoever, but then again, it was far off in the distance."
Hearing a cat was killed is sad, but Bartholomew says coyotes are also wild animals and feels the video is a good reminder of that.
"I feel pretty safe," he said. "I understand though they get desperate for food so every once in a while they venture a little further from home to get something."
Coyotes eat pretty much anything. They can eat cats, small dogs, goats, pigs and even calves. Officials say there are things you can do to help protect yourself and your furry friends. That includes, making sure fences don't have holes and keeping plants and one's yard well-maintained. It's also good to not leave trash or your pets outside at night.
"My animal that I have, she's big," said Frantz. "But sometimes she goes out early, early in the morning and I don't know what's in the yard. You can't see every area in the yard. And that's what's frightening, they're coming in our yards and we don't even realize that."
Which is why, moving forward, some are keeping an extra eye out. Because who knows where one may pop up next.
"My own opinion," said Bartholomew. "We just have to learn to live with sharing space with other animals."
If you see a coyote and don't want it around, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries' officials say deter them. Throw something at them, stomp your feet, do something that can make yourself look big and loud. If you let them know they're not welcome, officials say they should eventually learn that and stay away.
Jade Cunningham can be reached at jcunningham@wwltv.com.