Coyote spotted in Winnipeg's Point Douglas neighbourhood

A recent coyote sighting in Winnipeg's Point Douglas neighbourhood has some residents keeping a close watch over their pets.

Similar sightings have been reported in The Forks and the Exchange District as recently as Friday.

James Kane said he thought he saw a mangy-looking dog along the riverbank when he was driving home from school late last month, but then he realized it was a coyote.

"I think my exact term to myself was, 'What the heck are you doing out here?'" Kane said with a laugh.

Kane snapped several photographs of the coyote before the animal ran away.

"It seemed rather curious of me, but didn't want to get anywhere near me," he recalled.

Manitoba Conservation confirms that the animal in Kane's photographs appears to be a coyote.

A department spokesperson told CBC News that while sightings are rare, since coyotes are generally afraid of people and aren't known to venture into populated areas, they do wander along rivers and end up in the city from time to time.

Conservation staff have received "a few calls in recent days" about similar sightings, the spokesperson said in an email, adding that there have been no reports ofconfrontations between coyotes and humans or pets.

Sel Burrows, a community activist in Point Douglas, said he hasn't seen a coyote in the area yet but he has warned residents to keep a close eye on their cats and small dogs just in case.

"We haven't seen as many stray cats as we used to see, but that may be just be the cold weather," Burrows said.

Kane said he hasn't seen the coyote since that one sighting, leading him to wonder if it's still hanging out in Point Douglas or if it has moved elsewhere.