BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) -- Winter is coming and with winter comes wild animals trying to escape the cold and trying to find food, including in your neighborhood.

Wild animals are becoming increasingly common in residential areas. Some of the most common include coyotes, which pose a risk to people living in those areas. If a wild animal is in a residential area, stay calm and give it space.

"The biggest thing is to remain calm. The next step is to continue giving the animal the space it already has or has created. Don't continue to encroach," said Cody Gray, the administrator of boat, hunt, trap and snowmobile safety for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

If you can make yourself look like a predator to the animal, appearing threatening or bigger, the animal will naturally l

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