After recent accounts of a coyote attacking humans and pets in Frisco, some McKinney residents might be fearful the same will soon happen to them.

However, McKinney Animal Control Supervisor De St Aubin said McKinney residents have nothing to fear.

“I have been here almost 20 years, and I have not seen any more [coyotes] than normal," St Aubin said. "What happened in Frisco is really rare.”

St Aubin said he suspects the coyote in Frisco was either fed directly or indirectly by humans at some point and lost its fear of people.

"Then they start looking at humans as a food source,” St Aubin said. “Basically, you just need to maintain the fear of people."

The most important thing McKinney residents can do is learn how to react in case they encounter a coyote, St Aubin said.

"If you see one, don’t take off running from them, because that triggers their prey drive," he said. "If you see one, throw a rock at them, throw a stick at them, blow a whistle at them, but [don’t run from them]. ... It’s really easy to scare them off; they don’t want that confrontation. ... And they don't like things that fight back."

McKinney Animal Control suggests residents limit coyotes' sources of food in suburban areas by not leaving trash cans out before trash days, not feeding stray animals or pets outside, and not leaving small pets unattended or on leashes longer than 6 feet.

“The main thing we have been doing is trying to teach people how to live with them, because they are going to be here forever,” St Aubin said.

In addition, McKinney Animal Control traps wildlife that shows signs of aggressive behavior, while Frisco does not.

Since early January, McKinney Animal Control has trapped and removed three coyotes that acted bolder than usual. But there have not been any reports of coyotes acting aggressively toward humans in McKinney this year.