GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Neighbors in Gwinnett County are concerned after someone posted a photo of a large coyote roaming a Dacula subdivision in broad daylight.
A resident snapped the picture of the large animal at the entrance of the Charleston Park subdivision and posted it to social media. Other residents in the area say they also have seen evidence of coyotes in the neighborhood.
Channel 2's Berndt Petersen spoke with James Bardsley and Kathy Ramatowski, who showed him what they believe are large coyote tracks that they found in the mud along Old Fountain Road. Bardsley says the prints are definitely not dog tracks.
"Look at the size of my hand and how big it is," Bardsley said. "You can see the claws."
Bardsley and Ramatowski were particularly surprised by the size of the animal in the photo.
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"He was huge. And I let my dog out -- we live on two acres, so it's scary to let her out and these things are wandering around," Ramatowski told Petersen.
State wildlife biologists say coyotes tend to shy away from people -- but have been known to get aggressive and grab cats or smaller dogs.
Since the sightings, Ramatowski says she's keeping her beagle, Chloe, on a short leash. She's worried that there is more than just one coyote in the neighborhood.
"I'd be out on the deck and I can hear them out there in packs," she said. "There's a lot more than just one."
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources advises pet owners to not leave food outside and keep the lids on trash cans.
Officials say they don't think there are more coyotes in metro Atlanta -- but there have been more sightings. A number of Channel 2 Action News viewers have shared videos with us.
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