At least one coyote was spotted in North Hills on Shelter Rock Road by the entrance to the Northern State Parkway on July 16 by William Fitzgerald, who lives in the area.
Fitzgerald told Blank Slate Media he spotted the coyote a little after 5 a.m.
The sighting follows an advisory issued by the Nassau County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals last Tuesday that confirmed sightings in Roslyn.
East Hills Mayor Michael Koblenz sent an email to residents on Monday noting the confirmed sightings and with the SPCA’s precautions to follow.
Gary Rogers, a spokesman for the society, said in a previous interview that the coyotes are likely a male and female based on size.
Rogers said the coyotes were also spotted near Green Drive and Reed Drive in the Searingtown area, and said sightings have been ongoing for about three or four weeks.
They likely migrated from Queens, Rogers said.
If residents encounter coyotes, they should not run away because that can trigger a prey response, Rogers said.
Residents should also keep dogs on shorter leashes during walks, and keep house cats indoors, Rogers said.
The society also recommends residents feed pets indoors, make garbage inaccessible to wildlife and remove brush and tall grass from around houses.
Frank Vincenti, a Mineola barber who founded the Wild Dog Foundation in 1996, said if residents do encounter a coyote they should be assertive and not recoil in fear.
“If they do see them, they need to make them move on by being aggressive, even simply yelling at them,” Vincenti said. “When people start to show fear then the animals get too comfortable.”
Vincenti added that there are currently no major public safety concerns, noting there have been no incidents of pet or human attacks.
“It’s typical when coyotes first get into an area, they’re trying to acclimate,” he said. “…They’re not looking to make any waves so to speak.”
Vincenti said it’s hard to say if the coyotes will stay in the area, and if they will populate or if others will also migrate over.
Vincenti’s expertise is in deterring coyotes. His experience spans the area with work in New York City, Westchester and New Jersey.
“I’ve given hundreds of talks all over the tristate area, so having them close to me is definitely exciting for me,” Vincenti said.
He will give a talk on coyotes at the Shelter Rock Library on Aug. 22 at 7 p.m.
Members of the public can also reach Vincenti at savewilddogs@yahoo.com with questions or concerns.
