A video has emerged showing how two police officers in South Carolina used dog toys to lure an intruder coyote out of a couple's home.
Spartanburg resident and dog owner Sandie Ferguson told WSPA that the coyote entered the house through a dog flap and holed itself up in the couple's kitchen.
"One of my dogs came through here, and he started barking and looking all over, like there was a mouse or something," Ferguson told WSPA.
But instead of a small animal, Ferguson was shocked to find a coyote in her kitchen.
"When I first saw him, I thought 'It's a coyote.' Then I thought, 'No, it has to be a dog.' But he didn't move, he didn't bark, he didn't growl or whimper," she said.
The homeowner called 911 to ask for assistance in dealing with the animal, which had pinned itself in a corner of the kitchen where it stayed until police arrived.
"He didn't move. I think he was so afraid, he stayed just like a statue for like an hour and ten minutes," Ferguson said.
When officers from the Spartanburg Police Department (SPD) arrived at the house, they had to come up with a creative plan to try and coax the coyote out of the kitchen.
One of the officers asked Ferguson if she had any dog toys that they could use to throw at the coyote—a member of the canine family native to North America.
Bodycam footage shows the officers throwing several toys, before the coyote finally shoots out of the kitchen and leaves the house the same way that it came in.
"See how officers respond to [a] COYOTE call for service," the SPD said in a Facebook post containing the bodycam footage. "This is just some of the challenges the men and women of the Spartanburg Police Department face daily. Great work Lieutenant Metz and Officer Cote."
Ferguson told WSPA that since the incident, which occurred on March 19, the couple have ensured that the dog flap is closed every night. The woman said she had never seen a coyote before, although she had heard them.
"You never expect a wild animal to come in the house. I never expected a coyote to be in my yard," Ferguson said. "Never in my wildest dreams would I think he'd come in the house."
Wildlife experts say that if you ever encounter a wild animal do not approach it. If the animal is inside your home, try and provide the animal with an escape route.
