Coyote sighting on Palmer Avenue, in Middletown

I was driving down Palmer Avenue, toward Route 35, at about 4:40 p.m. today, and passed a coyote eating something on the front lawn of a house, right before the Middle Road light. While I was passing the coyote, so was a Middletown police car, which stopped and was surveying the situation. Usually, I have a camera on me or in my car at all times -- and then there was this time.

I pulled over and watched things progress. The Middletown police officer surveyed the situation, and the coyote moved on to the next house, and then to the backyard of that house. The police officer left his car and moved toward the back of the house (where the coyote had disappeared to) and I drove off.

The paper is done already, so this was the story that wasn't. Yet, even as a story, what is the relative worth? All in all, it is established that coyotes live in the Bayshore. I would not bet against the coyote pulling a slip on this one, and that isn't a knock on police. Coyotes are nature's best-trained thieves and are incredibly elusive.

Coyotes generally do not come after people, though there seems to have been an exception made in a few instances within the township during the recent year. Hopefully, no one was harmed today. Certainly, great credit to the officer (will find out more later) who displayed great powers of observation catching sight of the coyote while passing by.

The only thing wrong about this was I didn't have a camera. There is an outside possibility this could have been a coy dog, I just really don't think so. I got a look at the coyote from about 70 feet and I'm pretty sure. For the record, I didn't get a chance to speak with the officer, or the coyote, for interviews.