The city of Moncton is warning the public about a potentially aggressive coyote roaming along the North West Trail.

A wildlife control officer has been hired to track the animal down, based on a recent encounter by a woman, said Dan Hicks, the city's supervisor of parks and grounds.

The way the coyote acted is cause for concern, said Hicks.

"It wasn't easily frightened off," he said. "Basically, she threw some material at the coyote to have it leave the area. That's very inconsistent with your typical behaviour."

"Usually when an animal like that is bold or emboldened, it means they could be suffering from an injury or an illness and may not be in its typical state of mind," he said.

"Therefore there is a little bit more risk to humans and animals and pets as they take more risks to be able to survive."

Hicks says people walking on the city's trails should always keep their pets on a leash, be aware of their surroundings and if they see a coyote, they should leave it alone.

"It's good to know someone is looking for it," said Alisha Roberge, who walks the North West Trail about once a week and was there with her young daughter on Thursday.

Roberge says she has never seen a wild animal in the area, but says it's not shocking a coyote would be there, given it was wilderness until recently.

"Our house is only four years old. That's how long we've been living here for, so it's a fairly new area," she said. "They are doing a lot of building."

Hicks agrees wildlife sightings are bound to increase as the city expands into rural areas, but says this coyote sighting stands out because of its unusual behaviour.