Sheep dies in coyote attack at Greenfield Village in Dearborn, officials say

A coyote killed a sheep this week at the Henry Ford museum's Greenfield Village grounds in Dearborn, officials confirmed.

The wild coyote killed a male Merino sheep overnight into Wednesday, according to a statement from the museum.

The animal killing was the first of its kind there, and The Henry Ford is putting additional measures in place as a response, representatives said. Other details were not released.

The attack comes as Dearborn officials grapple with coyote reports pouring in from across Wayne County, including six police reports this year and 49 calls in 2023.

No residents have filed police reports about coyotes approaching or attacking people in Dearborn, though some residents have reported seeing the animals in residential areas and near parks, a city spokesman said.

Residents at a Dearborn City Council committee meeting Thursday asked officials to intervene and consider non-lethal approaches to limit wildlife interaction with humans.

The city will reach out to local organizations and update residents with ongoing research findings, a representative for the city and Mayor's Office said.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources said other Wayne County communities, including Woodhaven, Grosse Ile and Southgate, have had issues involving coyotes that were addressed by local animal control, nuisance trappers or USDA-Wildlife Services.