Orange County Residents Concerned After Coyote Kills Duck

Once they lived in the great outdoors, now coyotes are living right in our backyards. Orange County Animal Services workers set a trap late Tuesday afternoon outside a house near Chickasaw Elementary.

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The latest incident was just a few miles away from some neighborhoods where coyotes were attacking house cats.

There used to be a number of stray cats on Hollis Drive (see map), but that was before coyotes were spotted in the woods. One resident witnessed a coyote carrying away a duck and now neighbors want the coyotes gone before they look for larger prey.

"He heard his duck going crazy. Then he saw a coyote carrying him off," said resident Scott Hyatt.

Hyatt was visiting a friend on Hollis Drive when he says two coyotes appeared in the backyard. All that was left of the duck were a few feathers. The bird's mate survived the attack.

"That concerns me," Hyatt said. "Coyotes out here and kids."

"My grandkids live across the street. It's scary because, if they attack small animals, you don't know if they'll attack children," said resident Brenda Bynum.

It was concerns like Bynums' that brought Orange County Animal Services to Hollis Drive on Tuesday afternoon. An officer left behind a trap that will be baited in the hopes of catching a coyote.

An Animal Services spokesperson told Eyewitness News that normally the department doesn't handle wild animal calls, but they consider it a public safety issue.

The coyotes have been spotted close to people, not only along Hollis Drive but also in another Orange County neighborhood near the Executive Airport. In that instance, a coyote was captured on home video.

"I thought coyotes were only out in Arizona. I didn't even think Florida had coyotes," Hyatt said.

Animal Services had already put out a few traps at a nearby park, but so far the coyotes have managed to avoid the traps.

Previous Stories: August 8, 2008: Coyotes Spotted Even Closer To Heart Of Downtown Orlando June 25, 2008: Several Coyotes Captured Roaming Near Downtown Orlando June 24, 2008: Video Shows Coyotes May Be Hunting Cats In Orlando