WATCH: Coyote, opossum share meal on Nashville patio


West Nashville resident woke up to a coyote on their patio and caught it on camera, Justina Latimer reports.
Published: Dec. 12, 2022 at 10:16 PM EST|Updated: Dec. 13, 2022 at 7:45 AM EST
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - A coyote was caught on camera while making a stop at a home in the Whitland neighborhood over the weekend.

In the surveillance video, an opossum can be seen enjoying a late-night snack. A coyote then appears on camera, walks toward the opossum, and joins it.

“They were literally eating next to each other. It was crazy. I was shocked the coyote didn’t go for the live meal,” Beth said.

Beth’s surveillance camera recorded the two on her patio.

She said for the past two months she’s been working with Walden’s Puddle to help catch the neighborhood foxes because of a mange outbreak. So, the two were munching on dog food and chicken liver.

“I was so worried that I was going to have a murder scene on my entry, so I rushed out and the coyote ran in the backyard and the opossum was saved,” Beth said.

Barry Cross, TWRA Outreach and Communications Coordinator, wasn’t shocked to hear about the sighting. Tennessee’s season for coyotes runs year-round.

“If you do see wildlife in your neighborhood, there is nothing wrong with seeing it and enjoy watching, but if it is in close proximity to you and it doesn’t run at the sight of you, make that animal run because that is healthy for them,” Cross said.

While the visit was quite a surprise for the Whitland resident, she plans to continue her work with Walden’s Puddle.

“We love our foxes in Whitland. Everybody in the neighborhood knows we love our foxes, so we want to save them and keep them healthy,” Beth said.