Officials shoot, kill coyote in Beacon Hill

BOSTON -- Officials shot and killed a coyote seen wandering in Beacon Hill Sunday.

The coyote was first spotted near Frog Pond at Boston Common Sunday morning. It was later seen on the narrow streets in a nearby neighborhood.

Boston police spent several hours tracking the coyote. Massachusetts Environment Police later joined the search.

Environmental police said they corned the coyote in an alley off Pinckney Street. They saw the coyote had an injured leg and appeared sick. The officers say they had no choice but to shoot and kill the animal.

"Because of the area, there were small kids, there was dogs being walked by people, it was a public safety concern,” said Mass. Environmental Police Lt. Gary Duncan.

It is not known how long the coyote wandered around the neighborhood.

While officials say that seeing coyotes in the city is unusual, they also said that they have received a number of calls about coyote sightings around schools recently.

"We've had a lot of calls in the last six or seven months, sightings of coyotes, around schools and different areas in Boston," said Duncan. "We've watched to see if there was any aggression or sick animals."

Even though wild animal sightings may be common in Boston, Duncan said it is rare for them to make it to Beacon Hill.

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