No sign of coyote in Spotswood

Did a South River teen lie about his encounter with a coyote?

Anthony Bonsante said he was fishing in a stream of DeVoe Lake in Spotswood on Sunday night when he came face to face with a growling coyote. He told myCentralJersey.com that he grabbed a stick and hit the animal as it lunged for his neck, however, authorities said they have yet to spot a coyote in the area.

Police Chief Michael Zarro told myCentralJersey.com that he has trolled the area several times and has found nothing that would indicate a coyote was there.

Zarro said he is also waiting for Bonsante to come forward. "We are waiting for him to come in and verify information that was reported telephonically," Zarro told myCentralJersey.com.

The incident remains under investigation.

In April, two aggressive coyotes were killed by state wildlife officials in Bergen County. Tests revealed one was rabid.

Coyotes are generally not aggressive and attacks on humans are rare.

MORE COVERAGE:

• Investigation into Spotswood coyote sighting continues / myCentralJersey.com

 The Associated Press contributed to this story.