My son was walking in a park near our house within the city. the park has some wooded areas around it. he thought he saw a coyote. he described it as having a bushy tail and smaller then our 80 pound German Shepard puppy. could he have seen a coyote within the city and if so any idea on the number of coyotes within Peoria? thanks

Yes, it is very likely that the animal that your son saw was a coyote. They are very adaptable animals and some have learned how to coexist with people, even in cities as large as Chicago. I do not know how many coyotes currently live in the Peoria area. The number of coyotes in the area depends upon the availably of food (mainly rabbits, voles, and mice), shelter, and denning sites. You can learn more about coyotes at: http://web.extension.illinois.edu/wildlife/directory_show.cfm?species=coyote