Police in a North Shore community are warning residents to be on the lookout for coyotes after a jogger was bitten by a possible coyote.

Marblehead Police received a report Monday evening of a jogger being bitten by a dog. The person was running along Brown Street near the Marblehead Neck Wildlife Sanctuary.

“After an investigation by Animal Control and the Animal Inspector it has been determined that the biting animal was possibly a coyote and the resulting injuries were not life threatening,” police said in a statement.

“We are asking the residents on the Neck to be aware and to report any sightings of coyotes they may see during daylight hours for the next couple of days,” police added.

If the biting animal was rabid, its health would decline rapidly in the next few days, police noted.

“Rabies is rare, however we would like to take extra precaution and be sure the public is safe,” Marblehead Police added. “It’s possible that this is an isolated incident and the coyote was startled by the jogger… Again, we are asking residents to report any sightings to the Marblehead PD immediately.”

Marblehead Police, Animal Control, and the Massachusetts Environmental Police are aware of the situation and will be monitoring the area.

Coyotes can be found in nearly every town and city in Massachusetts. They are adaptable to a wide range of habitats, including suburban, urban, and rural areas.

Coyotes primarily travel between dusk and dawn, but coyotes can be active 24 hours a day. Coyotes are seen more during the daytime in the spring and summer, as they are giving birth and raising their young. They are more active and may be seen more often, as they search for food to feed their pups.

Daytime activity is normal behavior and does not mean the animal is rabid. A coyote exhibiting signs of rabies may display a lack of coordination, circling, paralysis, excessive salivation, self-mutilation, or aggressive behavior toward other animals and/or inanimate objects. Any coyote exhibiting these clinical signs should be reported immediately to the local Animal Control Officer and/or Police Department.

“If you encounter a coyote in your backyard or neighborhood, you can help reinforce a coyote’s natural fear of humans using hazing techniques,” MassWildlife posted on its website. “Let the coyote know that it is not welcome by making loud noises like blasting an air horn, spraying it with a hose, or tossing small objects near it and physically chasing it away. The goal is to scare the animal away, not hurt it… Never attempt to touch, tame, or feed a wild animal.”