Nassau resident sees a coyote hunting dog in his backyard and snaps a photo

MANHASSET, NY — Residents of North Shore Nassau County may want to watch out for small dogs, a resident warns, after spotting “a really big coyote” chasing her dog in her yard this week.

Stella Biniaris, in Manhasset, reported that after letting her dog Theo out at 5.30am, he ran inside the house “screaming” and she saw a coyote outside. She managed to snap a photo of Long Island’s still relatively rare wildlife.

Coyotes have only been spotted in Nassau and Suffolk counties in the past two years, and confirmed photographs are rare except for photos taken with trail cameras, Frank Vicenti told Patch .

Vicenti runs the Wild Dog Foundation and says coyotes have been in the area since they began migrating from New York seven years ago. They travel along green corridors like train tracks and parkways, he said.

Vicenti told Patch that a female coyote was killed on a nearby road in April that was likely her mate.

The male coyotes would take care of the pups if the mother died, Vicenti said.

“There are no dustbags in the coyote population.”

The Wild Dog Foundation studies and monitors coyote populations and can humanely deter any coyote that becomes too comfortable around humans.

Vicenti says the coyote pictured this week was more likely territorial than predatory towards the dog, but people should be vigilant and not leave the dogs outside alone.

“Even if you just walk out, your presence will deter the coyotes.”