This past Saturday, Huntersville resident John Schroter had a surprising and somewhat terrifying encounter with a rabid coyote.
After hearing his neighbor’s dogs barking, John drove his car over to the animal and flashed his lights to try to scare it away from his neighbor’s dogs. The animal looked as if it was going to run off, but then it turned, bared its bloody teeth and attacked his car.
He captured the entire encounter on video and uploaded it to Facebook;
After the encounter, he called 911 and described everything to the police.
Later that night, Huntersville police were able to successfully track down the animal, and were forced to kill the irratic coyote.
The police then sent the animal’s body to Raleigh for testing where it was confirmed that it did indeed have the rabies disease.
Coyote sightings continue to rise around the Charlotte region. Recently, a pack of coyotes killed a man’s 2 dogs in the front yard of his Iredell County home, and last February, a German Shepherd therapy dog was also attacked by a pack of coyotes in Weddington.
Since coyotes are not a native animal, they can be hunted year-round, even at night using flashlights – they can also be legally trapped from Nov. 1 to Feb. 28.
Some residents are now equipping their yards with flashing light coyote deterrents, and ultrasonic pest repellers, both of which work on solar power and are motion sensitive.
Officials with the animal control recommend:
▪ Keeping your yard free of any garbage or lingering food smells.
▪ Keep dogs on leashes when walking them, as coyotes are much less likely to approach if a person is nearby.
▪ Look around your backyard for the animals before you let the dogs out.
▪ If you encounter a coyote, back away slowly while yelling and waving your arms. Don’t run.
▪ Call 911 if you are being threatened by coyotes or other animals.
Have you seen any coyotes around your property?