ARLOTTE, N.C. -- Coyote concerns continue for a south Charlotte neighborhood. Families are on alert after multiple coyote sightings in 48 hours.
Some parents say they're thinking twice before letting their kids play by the woods and leaving their small pets outside.
"The coyote had come into the backyard here and was basically just kind of standing there looking at me," said Butch Barksdale, a Madison Park resident.
A picture posted on social media captures a coyote staring down a woman's camera. Moments later, the same coyote was in Butch Barksdale's backyard.
"Half a second," that's how long Butch says it took for his instincts to kick in. That's when he opened the door and chased after the coyote.
"He took off behind my neighbor's garage and I knew he was headed for the woods," said Barksdale.
The only problem with Butch chasing the coyote into the woods is that on the other side is Pinewood Elementary School.
"If there were an actual coyote sighting on the property of this school I would want to know," said Deidra Bragg, a Madison Park resident.
NBC Charlotte reached out to the Pinewood Elementary School to see if parents were notified; we're still waiting to hear back.
People living in the area say that's cause for concern.
"It's a wild feeling to have a coyote in your backyard," said Elaine Aldridge, a Madison Park resident.
A feeling that's all too familiar. Elaine Aldridge's husband caught a coyote on camera last fall. She says they're no stranger to coyotes.
"When I see a deer in the yard I'm just kind of awe struck, but when I see a coyote they just seem more dangerous, but I know if I leave it alone it'll leave me alone," said Aldridge.
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