Coyote captured near Mattapan school

MATTAPAN, Mass. (WHDH) -- The Mildred Avenue School in Mattapan was in safe mode Thursday after a coyote was spotted nearby.

The coyote was spotted in the parking lot, forcing officials to put the kindergarten through 8th grade school in safe mode for about an hour Thursday, meaning no one was allowed outside the building, but classes continued normally.

"Sometimes they carry a lot of bacteria and germs and we don't want to be exposed to that but I believe everyone handled it effectively and efficiently," said Dr. Deborah Dancy, principal.

Officials followed the coyote around the nearby neighborhood as people stood in streets and watched from porches hoping to catch a glimpse of the elusive animal.

Officers eventually found the coyote a half mile away cowering in a backyard and got a lasso around the animal’s neck.

“It was trying to fight back but the policeman had it under control. His partner was helping him also," said Ahmal Prescod.

 Minutes later the animal was carried out and placed into an animal control van, leaving a neighborhood trying to figure out how it got here.

“It ran right by and I was thinking it was somebody's dog at first and then I saw how mangy looking I and how big it was and it started running down the street toward Norfolk Ave.,” said Leonard Brown.

7News learned the coyote is a female and has an eye injury.

The coyote is now at the Wildlife Clinic in Grafton where she is being treated for mange.

No injuries were reported.