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Englewood Cliffs Police Urge Caution After Coyote Sightings In The Area

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. (CBSNewYork) - Englewood Cliffs police are urging residents to keep their garbage cans and small pets indoors after several coyote sightings.

"I'm scared to heck, that's what I am.  I know they can really do a lot of damage," Englewood Cliffs resident Mae Butti said.

As CBS2's Tracee Carrasco reported, numerous residents have had a close encounter with the coyotes in Englewood Cliffs.

"Zoom!  In front of me.  I'm like, 'Oh my, what is this?'  And it wasn't a deer," resident Mem Massaquoi said. "It's scary!  It's scary!"

"It is scary, especially when you hear them making whatever weird noise those things make," resident Christine Senatore said.

Senatore took photos of a coyote roaming the Upper School field behind her home on Rock Road. Her oldest son Anthony is student there.

Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey coyotes
(Credit: Christine Senatore)
Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey coyotes
(Credit: Christine Senatore)

The children are no longer allowed outside for recess.

"I feel kind of scared, like when we walk, we might see them," Anthony said.

"We have extra patrols in the area, making checks of the school constantly," Englewood Cliffs Police Chief Michael Cioffi said.

Chief Cioffi says his officers have seen the pack.

Animal control has also set several traps to safely relocate the coyotes from the residential area.

"I feel sorry for them because, you know, we're building homes and we're taking away their places where they go. But let them go move someplace else," Butti said.

"There's a Flatrock Brook Nature Center that's down there. There are probably coyotes in the wooded area there because that's where they live," Cioffi said.

Police say until they know the coyotes have left the area, they'll keep the traps out and the children in.

The coyotes haven't hurt anyone, but Senatore said she will keep her children and dog indoors, to make sure they won't be the first.

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