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Coyote sighting closes Westfield's Brightwood Park

Brightwood Park closed Saturday afternoon after Westfield police say they received an alert of a coyote sighting.

Lanette Espy

and

Kimberly Bukowiec

Jul 3, 2023, 12:44 PM

Updated

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A second park in New Jersey closed over the weekend due to an aggressive animal being spotted.

Brightwood Park, a 44-acre nature preserve on Prospect Street, closed Saturday afternoon after Westfield police say they received an alert of a coyote sighting around 11:30 a.m. The park is still closed until further notice.

Some residents in the Westfield area were surprised to hear about the news. They told News 12 New Jersey that just because the park is closed doesn’t mean coyotes are not running around private property.

RELATED: Coyote attacks at least 2 people at South Mountain Reservation, officials say

The coyote sighting in Westfield comes days after officials said two people and a dog were attacked Friday by a coyote at Mountain Reservation in Maplewood. Portions of the park were closed off.

A couple of reminders:

  • Be mindful of your surroundings.

  • Take precaution.

  • Do not feed any animal.

Police and animal control are investigating the coyote sighting in Brightwood Park. Police say they will continue to update the community.

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