MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – El Portal police are warning residents to be careful after a coyote was spotted wandering the area Monday.
According to authorities, the coyote was last seen Monday on Northwest 92nd Street at First Avenue.
"Please keep your pets indoors for their safety. Animal Control and FWC will not respond unless the animal is contained," the Police Department posted on Twitter.
El Portal resident Jessica Sirmans told Local 10 News reporter Janine Stanwood that her husband saw the coyote while taking their dog for a walk.
"He came back and he said he saw something across the street with red eyes and legs that were clearly not a dog," Sirmans said.
Sirmans said her family has lived in the area for eight months and has seen animals like raccoons and possums, but never a coyote.
The Miami Shores Fraternal Order of Police tweeted the El Portal Police Department back, saying the coyote has been around for years and typically lives on the Miami Shores golf course.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, coyotes can be found in all 67 Florida counties and in every state except Hawaii.
The FWC reports that coyotes are typically shy and elusive, but encounters between them and people are occurring more often across the state.