Coyote sighting! 3 wild dogs were spotted in north London Friday morning

A trio of coyotes were seen wandering along a residential street in the area of Wonderland and Sarnia Roads Friday morning.

A neighbour spotted the wild canines as they walked across the front lawn of a residence on Castlegrove Blvd. shortly after 7 a.m. and stopped to take a photo.

"I just wanted to give a heads up to people in this area that they are roaming around and maybe not have small pets outside alone in the backyard," said Nicole Prankie, who shared the photo on a local Facebook group.

It's not uncommon for coyotes to travel through residential neighbourhoods in London, according to wildlife expert Brian Salt, the founder and president of Salthaven Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Centre.

"All wildlife will follow the river and railway tracks. They can travel right across the city on the railway or the river, and in this case, it would seem likely that they were following the railway tracks," said Salt. "But the thing that attracts them the most is food."

That includes compost and food that residents leave out for pets and other wildlife, which are common prey for coyotes. Salt advises that keeping garbage spaces and backyards clean of food will help to keep them away from your yard.

Be aware of coyotes travelling in a pack

While coyotes do not generally pose a threat to humans, they can become dangerous in numbers.

"A single coyote or even two coyotes is not something to get too upset about. They're pretty shy and they're not going to attack people just on a whim unless they feel threatened," he said. "But when you get a pack mentality, usually three or four or more, the mentality can change."

Salt said people should make themselves as big as they can, throw their arms up in the air, yell and even throw things at them. The one thing you don't want to do? Run.

"Running just invokes the chase instinct, and that's the worst thing you can do," he said.

Salt also advises residents to keep their dogs on a short leash when out for a walk, especially from dusk to dawn.

For more information on coyotes, you can visit the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority's Urban Coyote Guide.