Roswell resident Dan Uhlmeyer has lived on an acre that backs up to a creek for 14 years, so he’s seen his fair share of wildlife.
Deer. Foxes. And yes, coyotes — including one broad-daylight sighting in which the animal appeared to be carrying a cat.
But Uhlmeyer had never witnessed a coyote as large as the one he saw Monday morning.
He surveyed the animal from his North Point subdivision home while his son got ready for middle school. Uhlmeyer’s daughter who catches the bus at the end of the driveway not far from where the coyote was, had already left for elementary school.
“A lot of the coyotes that come through are shorter, and skinnier,” Uhlmeyer said in an email. “This looked the size of a very large dog, but was definitely a coyote.”
Coyote sightings in Roswell and metro Atlanta are fairly common, and often cause a stir among residents who fear for the safety of their children or pets. One was recently spotted in Piedmont Park, concerning locals who frequent the park.
Chris Mowry, an animal ecologist who coordinates the Atlanta Coyote Project, has said there's no need to be overly alarmed.
Uhlmeyer said he posted pictures of the coyote in his backyard to Nextdoor, a private online neighborhood forum, because the neighborhood has a lot of young children and toddlers.
His family often hears coyotes howling at night, and he once opened the back door to “hear them scamper away.”
“Apparently my next door neighbor was awakened by them last night,” Uhlmeyer said.
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