By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer
When Carrboro Animal Control officer Robert Nekoranec responded to a call about a “fox that looked confused” on Friday, he wasn’t expecting to find a coyote.
“I got on it right away,” he said. Nekoranec arrived at a home on Woods Walk Court, near the intersection of Hillsborough Road and North Greensboro Street. He spotted the coyote about 50 feet away.
Nekoranec said the animal he saw was “smaller than a wolf, bigger than a fox” and “it looked like [a coyote].” Although the animal was not aggressive, he said it was “running back and forth” in the backyard of the property, trying to figure out how to get back to the woods.
The sound of nearby lawnmowers and curious neighbors further spooked the animal, he said.
Nekoranec said he tried to chase it, but got caught in some brambles, and the coyote finally retreated to the woods.
If caught, the animal would likely be relocated, Nekoranec said. He said coyotes tend to stay away from people and are night hunters.
The coyote remains at large.