Cat faces off with coyote on Texas porch in wild video: ‘He was a fighter’
SURFSIDE BEACH, Texas. - A crazy encounter between a cat and coyote was caught on video Thursday, with the feline just narrowly escaping.
The video was recorded on a home surveillance camera in Surfside, Texas on June 9, and showed the scene unfolding between the two animals.
In the footage, the cat could be seen trying to hide and escape from the coyote. While the cat suffered many close calls, the feline was able to climb up the home’s banister to safely get away.
(Credit: Tony Gray)
Resident Tony Gray told FOX Television Stations Group he saw the encounter happen on his porch deck in real-time.
"You can hear me bang on the door to scare off the coyote. That's why he ran off," Gray said. "He was a fighter and luckily the coyote was a skittish pup."
The 45-year-old posted the video on social media, writing "Island life... Someone almost lost a cat."
In Houston, which is about one hour outside Surfside Beach, residents confirmed to sister station FOX 26 Houston last year that there is a coyote problem, and it has led to the death of pets.
Cat tries to escape coyote in video surveillance video. (Credit: Tony Gray)
According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, urban coyotes of Houston run in packs and like to forage for food when darkness falls.
"Oh actually coyotes are quite common in the city of Houston," said Kelly Norrid, an urban wildlife biologist for Texas Parks and Wildlife.
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He said coyotes have roamed Houston for decades, along bayous and moving from wooded area to wooded area.
"We’ve been hearing a lot recently over the last few years that coyote numbers are just booming throughout Houston," Norrid explained.
He said coyotes are not known to harm humans, and attacks on pets are very rare.
"I am amazed at the diverse and healthy population of wildlife on this island," Gray continued, adding, "Surfside is an amazing place, but we need to keep our pets inside and safe."
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It’s currently unclear who the cat belongs to or where the cat went to after the incident.
"This was my first up-close experience and hopefully the last," Gray concluded.
This story was reported from Los Angeles.