A coyote that was chased out of a Cammack Village basement has prompted officials to remind residents living near wooded areas of safety tips to keep wild animals at bay.

The Cammack Village Police Department posted the list of tips to Facebook this weekend, after officers with the department and the state Game and Fish Commission were called to a home on Palisades Drive on Friday night to flush out the coyote.

Game and Fish Commission officer Ross Spurlock said the animal was smaller than a German shepherd and was probably born last year.

Spurlock said the animal entered the basement through an open garage door, probably while trying to escape the cold.

"It was just seeking shelter like it's supposed to do," Spurlock said, adding that calls about coyotes are fairly common around the Little Rock area.

The Cammack Village Police Department advised residents to secure garbage, feed pets indoors and keep small pets restrained, as they can become food for larger coyotes.

Animals that are fed or become reliant on humans for food become less fearful and more likely to enter residential areas, officials said.