Officials and residents in Echo Park have been looking for a coyote seen scampering through their neighborhood over the past week with what appears to be a large dog toy stuck in its mouth.
The coyote has been spotted, and caught on camera, with a large red object that resembled a rubber dog toy lodged in its mouth.
“It broke my heart,” said neighbor George Scheideman, who shot video of the coyote trying to get a drink in his backyard.
Coyotes are common visitors to the neighborhood, and can be a nuisance, Scheideman said. “This time, I was just really concerned for it.”
Worried that the obstruction may make it hard for the animal to eat or drink properly, residents and animal control officials are trying to find, capture and help the coyote before it starves to death.