Coyote Shot And Killed By Police

At least two coyotes were spotted in a residential area off Fort Morgan Road in Gulf Shores Monday morning. Animal control officers say one of the coyotes appeared to be sick and starving...and say an officer shot and killed one of the wild animals in the back of a new subdivision.

"It's way too close for comfort," says Robin Carlisle. "We hear the coyotes every night, it scares my children. I won't let them go out at night."

Robin Carlisle lives on Knob Hill Drive in Gulf Shores. The long-time Pleasure Island resident says a pack of coyotes is using an abandoned house to hide during the day.

"Then they come out at night and the noises they make are terrifying."

Coyotes live in wooded areas across Pleasure Island and are often seen on back roads at night. In Orange Beach, city officials have posted "Coyote Crossing" signs along parts of Canal Road. Some experts believe coyote sightings are on the rise because new development is pushing the animals out of their natural habitat.