Coyote Attacks Toddler In California
A family in Woodland Hills, California is still shaken up after a coyote attacks their 2-year old toddler daughter.
In the security camera footage, you can see the coyote quickly comes over and grabs the girl and tries to escape with her.
The family had just arrived home from preschool and taken their daughter out of her car seat. They were parked in front of the home and all of a sudden, the coyote appears and tries to run with the girl. Her father was able to yell and scare the coyote off as it was dragging their daughter down the sidewalk.
Hours before the coyote attack on the Eliyahuo’s daughter, there were animal control officers and volunteers going door to door warning neighbors of coyotes in the area.
The girls parents, Shira and Ariel Eliyahuo, say they are tired of the constant coyotes in the neighborhood and hopes the city will take care of the issue.
The girls clothing was sent to labs to get DNA testing on the coyote in the hopes that the specific coyote could be caught and matched. Once the coyote is caught, it will be euthanize and its brain stem sent in for testing.
Officials urge residents in coyote prone areas to keep their pets inside and watch their children if outside. Coyotes can jump a 6ft fence to get a small pet easily.
Coyotes are typically not seen in daylight and they mostly stay away from humans. Attacks on humans are very rare, but when they do happen, it’s generally on smaller children. Most coyote attacks on humans occur in the Southwest near southern California, where coyotes have been in the suburban area for decades.
As of 2022, there is between an estimated 500,000 to 750,000 coyotes in the state of California. Coyote hunting has proved helpful but officials say that is not enough to control the population.
