Students of a Riverdale public school were ushered to safety Friday morning after a coyote was spotted near the schoolyard.

In an email to CP24, Crystal Walker said she was walking with her son to Withrow Avenue Junior Public School on Bain Avenue at around 8:45 a.m. when she noticed the animal near a fence on the school’s property.

“We were walking to school like every other day and as we crossed the street we had parents stop us and say, ‘Just so you know, kids are going inside right away because there was a coyote on the field this morning,’” Walker said.

She said the coyote was crouched behind of the school’s utility buildings, “trying to hide” from a crowd of people that had gathered to gawk at it.

After taking a photo of it, Walker said teachers helped usher students inside the school. She said typically the students would be allowed to play in the schoolyard until around 9 a.m.

Toronto Animal Control showed up at the school at around 9:30 a.m. and were able to corral the coyote.

Animal service officers used two large pieces of cardboard to corner the coyote while a third officer tried to get an adjustable rope around its neck. Once roped, the animal was placed in a net and then a cage.

A Toronto police officer stood nearby with a rifle as a precaution.

“It went pretty smoothly. He cooperated,” an animal control officer said after the capture. “He’s more scared than anything.”

The coyote was then transported Toronto Wildlife Centre where a spokesperson there said it’s in relatively good health but does have some fur loss.

Walker said she’s heard of coyote roaming the neighbourhood before but hadn’t seen one herself until this morning.

“Last week one of my neighbours said that someone delivering the mail saw it on Sparkhall Avenue, which is just one street over from here,” she said.

“We have tiny little children here and you don’t want a wild animal running around with the potential of hurting them.”

Walker said she's "glad" Animal Control showed up "as quickly as they did."

The Toronto Wildlife Centre said it was normal that the coyote cowered from humans.

They intend on releasing the coyote at some point in an area away from the school.