Residents on edge after coyote sighting in Miami Springs neighborhood - WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale

Coyote Sighting in Miami Springs Neighborhood Leaves Residents on High Alert

A shocking incident in Miami Springs has left local residents terrified after a coyote was spotted roaming freely behind several homes, including the backyard of the Sauer family. According to eyewitnesses, the coyote was seen approaching their pet tortoise, Bubble, before quickly leaving the scene.

"I felt safe with our backyard here until right now," said Yolanda Sauer, who witnessed the coyote's encounter with her teacup chihuahua and African sulcata tortoises. "I don't want to see it hurt but I don't want to see a child hurt either."

The sighting has caused widespread concern among residents in the area, particularly parents whose children often play outdoors on Fridays. The Miami Springs Police Department was quickly alerted and dispatched officers to the scene.

"We were all shaken up," said Yolanda's son, Charles, who lives next door. "Our dogs aren't the only pets we're worried about – we have African sulcata tortoises too."

Fortunately, authorities say that the coyote has since been captured, putting an end to the danger posed to residents. However, officials are cautioning against approaching or feeding wildlife, advising everyone to make loud noises to scare coyotes away and keep pets indoors whenever possible.

"It's a wake-up call for us," said Yolanda. "We need to be more vigilant about our safety and the safety of our pets."

The incident serves as a stark reminder of the growing presence of coyotes in urban areas, highlighting the importance of coexisting with wildlife while taking necessary precautions to protect human life and property.

omg i just saw this thread from like 2 days ago how did i miss it?? anyway i think its kinda crazy that they had a coyote right behind their houses my grandma used to live in a place with lots of raccoons and she always had her trash cans secured because you never know when those masked bandits might show up i feel bad for the Sauer family tho, having a pet tortoise is already kinda high maintenance anyway its good that the police were able to catch it before anyone got hurt

This is just great... another wild animal shows up and freaks out the whole neighborhood . Can't even have a peaceful backyard without worrying about being attacked by a coyote. I mean, what's next? Raccoons in the living room? It's just too much. And don't even get me started on all the noisemakers they're going to start selling to keep those pesky coyotes away... like that's gonna work . The fact is, people need to wake up and take responsibility for their own safety, not just rely on authorities to catch the problem .

omg u guys i no some ppl might b thinkin 'why not just let it be? its just a wild animal' but honestly i think we need 2 take this situation way more serious cuz those pets r lives too! i mean, imagine if that coyote had attacked one of the kids next door . yeah we gotta protect ourselves and our fur babies at all costs . plus, it's not like we're in the middle of nowhere where animals roam free...we're in Miami Springs for crying out loud! we can do better than that. let's just say i'm glad they were able to catch that coyote and now everyone's safe . but seriously, who knew coyotes could be so sneaky?

I'm shocked a coyote was spotted in Miami Springs like that! I mean, I know we're getting closer to nature and all, but this is crazy! Coyotes are wild animals and deserve our respect, right? We need to make sure they don't become a threat to human safety, especially with kids around. I'm glad the authorities were able to catch it, but also super bummed that it had to happen in the first place . I think this incident is a great reminder for all us pet owners to be more careful about what we let our pets interact with outside.

omg, i cant even imagine having to deal with that in my own backyard coyotes are like, super common in florida now, but its still so scary when you see one roaming around, especially with pets involved i mean, the sauer family is right, they should be worried about both their dogs and their tortoises - those guys can grow up to 3 feet long and weigh over 200 pounds! it's a good thing the police showed up quickly and caught that coyote, but yeah, its a big wake-up call for everyone in the area to start being more aware of their surroundings and taking steps to protect themselves and their pets

I'm low-key worried about these coyote sightings ... I mean, what's wrong with these animals, right? They're just trying to survive! But at the same time, we gotta be careful not to let them think they can roam free in our neighborhoods . Like, if we don't secure our trash cans and pet food, it's just asking for trouble . I'm all for wildlife coexistence, but let's also be real, humans come first ... or do we? Should we just learn to live with these coyotes or take drastic measures to keep them out? Ugh, I don't know... maybe we're just not prepared for this

I'm surprised it took a close call like that for people to be aware of coyotes in Miami Springs... sounds like they're having to rethink their whole backyard experience . Feeding or approaching wildlife is super bad news, even if you think you're helping the animals out . The fact that they had a pet tortoise and teacup chihuahua at risk just highlights how unpredictable these critters can be . Better safe than sorry, right?

So I'm thinking, it's crazy that people are already on high alert after one sighting, right? Like, I get it, coyotes can be a big deal, but Miami Springs is not exactly the middle of nowhere. You'd think they'd have some way to deter them from hanging out in residential areas. And what's with all the pet owners worrying about their little fur babies and reptiles being attacked by these wild animals? I mean, sure, it's bad news, but like 99% of pets are not going to be a meal for a coyote or whatever .

And can we talk about how some people are already saying they're "more vigilant" and need to "protect themselves"? Like, what even is that? Are there coyotes just walking around Miami Springs waiting to pounce on unsuspecting residents? Newsflash: it's not like they're going to come after you just because you have a lawn. Get over it .

On the bright side, at least the authorities are advising people to make loud noises and keep their pets indoors when coyotes are around. That's some solid advice right there!

OMG u guys I'm literally shaking rn just read about this crazy coyote sighting in Miami Springs! Like what if it had attacked someone's kid? I know we should be cool with nature and all but come on, pets are family too!!! my heart is still racing thinking about that tortoise can you imagine being a parent and having to worry about coyotes in your neighborhood 24/7?!?!? sounds super stressful! anyway, glad the cops caught it and all but now I'm gonna be checking those backyard fences like a hawk

so like what's up with these coyotes right? they're all over miami springs now anyone who owns pets needs to get some motion sensors for their backyards ASAP ️ that way you can alert the neighbors if a coyote shows up at night. also, we need more wildlife education programs so people know how to spot coyotes and what to do if they see one

here's a simple flowchart of what you should do if you encounter a coyote:

```
+-------------------+
| SEE COYOTE? |
+-------------------+
|
|
v
+-------------------+
| STAY CALM, |
| MAKE LOUD NOISES |
+-------------------+
|
|
v
+-------------------+
| KEEP PETS INSIDE |
| AND MONITOR BACKYARD|
+-------------------+
```

we should also get more cameras up in the neighborhood to keep an eye on coyotes and prevent them from roaming free

Ugh, can you believe this?! Coyotes are becoming way too common in suburbs like Miami Springs, it's so scary! I mean, who wants to see a wild animal roaming around their backyard? The Sauer family was literally walking around with their pet tortoise, Bubble, and some coyote comes out of nowhere, that's just crazy!

I get what the parents are saying, you don't want your kid getting hurt by a coyote, but at the same time, what can they do? It's not like they can control where these animals are coming from. And now they have to be more vigilant about their pets, keep them indoors on Fridays... it's just too much!

It's good that the police were able to catch the coyote, but we need to talk about how this is happening in the first place. We should be out there making sure wildlife isn't taking over our cities!

This is what happens when nature comes knocking on your door ... gotta respect their space but also keep our pets safe

I'm so glad they caught that coyote ASAP! I mean, can you imagine how terrifying it must've been for those kids (and their pets) to see a wild animal just wandering around in their backyard? My kid's always playing outside till the streetlights come on and now I'll be checking the neighborhood every Friday . What if that coyote came back with some other critters? We gotta be prepared, you know? And what about all those tortoises... African sulcata, really? Those poor guys need extra protection!

omg u guys i no how scary dat coyote sighting was 4 my mom just moved into that neighborhood n she's super worried now lol they got a teacup chihuahua nd african sulcata tortoises too?! tht's like, so not safe at all i feel 4 them tho...i hope dey r doin ok now dat de coyote got caught but omg yeah we gotta be more careful w/ our pets nd wildlife n stuff dey r tryna warn us 2 b loud when we see dey come or somethin but like, how r we sposed 2 no dey r out dere??

I'm surprised people aren't aware that Miami Springs is basically surrounded by nature reserve . I mean, it's not like it's a random thing for coyotes to show up out of nowhere... just saying. But seriously, it's super worrying that these pets were left unattended, and that there are no fencing or other measures in place to keep them safe . And what's with the backyard petting zoo vibe? I'm not sure if anyone was keeping an eye on those tortoises...

But yeah, thankfully the authorities swooped in and caught the coyote . Still, this whole situation just highlights how we need to be more mindful of our surroundings and take steps to protect ourselves and our pets . It's not like it's a new thing for coyotes to roam around urban areas... they've been doing that for ages . Anyway, glad no one got hurt, but still, some basic precautions would be nice .