Up to 15 coyotes are roaming college campus, prompting warning from NC sheriff
A growing number of coyotes have begun prowling North Carolina’s Forsyth Technical Community College in search of food, leading to an unusual alert for students to “maintain a safe distance” from the predators.
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The college is located in Winston-Salem, and the alert was issued after deputies found one of the coyote’s trapped in a fence, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office said in an Aug. 28 news release. The college has about 10,000 students.
“An estimated 10 to 15 coyotes (are) living in or frequenting wooded areas of the campus. Staff members have reported that some of the coyotes appear to have begun approaching people as well as domestic animals,” the sheriff’s office says.
“Because of the increased activity and reported behavior of the coyotes, the FCSO encourages members of the public to exercise additional caution in this area.”
Coyotes are wild canines that resemble the red wolf, and they have an instinct to chase anything that runs from them, according to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. They weigh about 45 pounds, and are “opportunistic feeders” that will eat whatever is available, including cats and small dogs, experts say.
Attacks on humans are rare, but have occurred in North Carolina, including a 2024 incident in which two people were injured by a coyote at Uwharrie National Forrest, the U.S. Forest Service reported.
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The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office says it is monitoring the situation on campus and “will work with Forsyth Tech and appropriate wildlife professionals to help protect students, employees, visitors, and surrounding residents.”
Students are being told to avoid walking dogs on campus, “particularly near wooded areas.”
“Never intentionally feed or approach a coyote,” the sheriff’s office says. “Maintain a safe distance if a coyote is observed and allow the animal an opportunity to leave the area.”
Forsyth Technical Community College is about an 80-mile drive northeast from uptown Charlotte.
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This story was originally published August 31, 2026 at 1:34 PM.
