six coyotes<\/a> live on the bayside in Wildwood, and some people say they’ve been there for a long time.<\/p>\nHow the coyotes got to the Jersey Shore community is up for debate. Some said they were brought in decades ago when it was a city landfill.<\/p>\n
Most of the residents who spoke to CBS News Philadelphia said they’re upset at the coyotes’ emaciated appearance. In fact, one man removed a dead coyote. The animal died at some point Thursday afternoon.<\/p>\n
What to do about the Wildwood coyotes has become a flashpoint in recent weeks, but they’ve also become an attraction.<\/p>\n
“People walk by, calling them,” Trish Brown said. “Just leave them be. But also, they’re hungry.”<\/p>\n
“They said people line up with golf carts and take pictures,” resident Dave Check said, “so I figured it was a good shot. They usually don’t come out during the day.”<\/p>\n
Those who live along Susquehanna Avenue said the coyotes have been here for 30 years. The site used to be a city dump.<\/p>\n
In recent years, the land has been cleared of trees and grass for development.<\/p>\n
Neighbors said before this summer, the coyotes were rarely seen because of the dense brush.<\/p>\n
“I’ve seen the adults, but they’ve never come across the street,” Brown said. “Just the puppies come.”<\/p>\n
Some said they’re alarmed by their emaciated appearance and admit to feeding them.<\/p>\n
Mayor Ernie Troiano offered this warning to residents.<\/p>\n
“If I catch somebody feeding them, I’ll fine the daylights out of you,” Troiano said. “Only as a lesson that you are not helping these animals. Let them go back into their habitat and forage for themselves. They did it all these years and we never had problems.”<\/p>\n
Neighbors contend the redevelopment has created an unsustainable environment for the wild animals with little to no food source.<\/p>\n
“We reach out to the authorities to say, ‘What can we do?’ And they say, ‘We can trap it, and we euthanize.’ I say, ‘Why don’t you trap them and move them to another [location].’ They say, ‘We don’t do that.’ So, I don’t want to kill them.”<\/p>\n
Feeding a coyote can result in a fine up to $5,000, Troiano said.<\/p>\n
Officials said there no aggressive behavior from the coyotes has been reported.<\/p>\n
\n More from CBS News\n <\/p>\n
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