Was a Coywolf Spotted on 9D in Beacon, NY?

Are there wolves on the prowl in Beacon?

One Hudson Valley resident shared a video on social media recently that had many people wondering if a coywolf was spotted in Dutchess County. On September 10th, Becky Lou Gordon shared a video in a Beacon-based Facebook group and wrote:

Coywolf spotted on 9D by the volunteer fire department today! 3pm!

A coy-wolf (also known as an Eastern Coyote) is a hybrid of a coyote and wolf and, according to the Daily News, there were somewhere near 20 coywolves seen in the Bronx in 2015. While they're not super common in the area, they can be found all along the east coast traveling as far as Ohio.

We'll let you be the judge. Was it a Coywolf spotted in Beacon or just your run-of-the-mill coyote? Take a look:

Coyote sightings and encounters aren't uncommon here in the Hudson Valley. In August, a Kingston woman was reportedly outside her home gardening with her small dog 10 feet away. Moments later a coyote ran up the driveway and snatched the dog from its home.

The Department of Environmental Conservation says that pet owners should not let their pets run free outside explaining "Supervise all outdoor pets to keep them safe from coyotes and other wildlife, especially at sunset and at night."

This spring, a runner narrowly avoided a conflict with a coyote pup while running on the Tappen Zee Bridge. 

For other tips on avoiding human/pet-coyote conflict visit the DEC website.