That changed this week with a coyote sighting in the city's Logan section, and it was all captured on camera.
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"I saw something, didn't know if it was a fox, or what. I was like, 'It's a huge fox, if it is a fox,'" recalled Tamaira Tokley.
Tokley spotted the coyote around 9 p.m. Tuesday night at Wakefield Park. She captured the coyote staring back at her before scurrying away.
"We see foxes and deer all the time, but never a coyote," said Tokley.
It seems that coyotes are making themselves more visible and more at home across many parts of the Delaware Valley.
Just this week, Marple Township Police posted a photo of a coyote they captured and relocated after it snatched up a terrier dog in broad daylight.
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SEE ALSO: 1 coyote caught, another still in area after sightings around Broomall, Pa.
1 coyote caught, another still in area after sightings around Broomall, Pa.
It's a situation Mae Axelrod, the director of communications for the Schuylkill Center Wildlife Clinic, says is pretty rare.
"Coyotes are in every county in Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia County. As development pressures increase on their habitat, we're starting to see them more and more," said Axelrod.
Axelrod says coyotes are pretty elusive, and if they are seen, it's generally at night. But you still should take steps to keep them away.
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"If you want to make sure to keep coyotes away, secure your pet food, do not leave it out at all times, definitely bring your pets in at night, secure your garbage," said Axelrod. "If you see a coyote, the best thing is to just leave it alone."
In Logan, people like Vincent Ellison are keeping their eyes open for their new neighbor and their animals close by their side.
"When I walked in here, I could see something resembling a German Shepard poking its head out of the bushes," said Ellison. "I did not expect that."
Officials say you should only report sightings if you spot a coyote acting erratically or strangely.