This past week, the Escanaba area received a new neighbor; however it is one that is not wanted by the citizens.

This unwanted neighbor was a coyote that was spotted near the Escanaba High School which also is a very dense residential area as well.

We are afraid this is going to become more of a common occurrence because these animals are looking for food, and what better source than our garbage cans.

The more frightening thing about this coyote is the way it was reacting. The last thing we need is a possible rabid animal running around in our neighborhoods.

There are precautions that we should be taking to limit such problems. The main action is to make sure there is no food around your home or neighborhoods. Garbage serves as a great feeding ground for these animals and we do tend to throw a lot of litter on the ground.

The other action to take is if you do spot a wild animal, call the authorities. They will try to catch the animal and return it to is natural habitat - far away from our neighborhoods.

When we live so close to wildlife, it is only going to be a matter time before such a sighting is seen. We just hope this is a loner and there are not others out there running around where our children and pets are congregating. If so, it can only be a bad event waiting to happen.