Cops Shoot 2 Coyotes After Toddler Gets Bitten, Seriously Injured in Attack Near Calif. Pier
Allen J. Schaben (Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) Thousands of beach-goers in Huntington Beach, Calif., on April 25.
Police have shot and killed two coyotes believed to be involved in an attack near the Huntington Beach Pier in California.
Officers from the Huntington Beach Police Department fired at the coyotes shortly after a young girl was attacked on the beach around 9:45 p.m. local time Thursday night, according to an updated statement shared Friday by the department.
Police say the first animal was shot in the area of Goldenwest and Pacific Coast Highway, while the other was shot near the pier. Officers located the first coyote, which had died, on Friday morning in the same area in which it was shot, per the HBPD.
The second coyote was located later in the day near Atlanta and Huntington and captured by officers from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and Orange County Animal Control Officers.
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The animal was found injured but alive underneath a trailer at a trailer park "very near the Huntington Beach Pier," said the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in its joint release with the HBPD.
Officials eventually euthanized the animal, which they hope "is the second coyote that had been shot by Huntington Beach Police" later Thursday night.
Getty A coyote
Forensic scientists in Sacramento will attempt to determine if the coyote is indeed the one involved in Thursday's attack by attempting "to compare the samples of DNA from either of the carcasses to that of the samples taken from the victim's bite wounds," California Fish and Wildlife said. Both coyotes will be tested for rabies as well.
"At this time, we believe both coyotes observed on the beach last night have been captured," the HBPD said Friday.
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The young girl attacked Thursday night is now recovering after suffering "serious" but" "non-life-threatening" injuries, police said in their initial statement early Friday morning.
California Fish and Wildlife Captain Patrick Foy later told KTLA that the attack appears to be completely unprovoked. "They had done nothing to provoke or inadvertently initiate some kind of attack by this coyote, but in fact, the coyote did go up and attack their little girl," he said.
Foy also lauded the girl's family for their quick thinking after hearing the girl being attacked. He said the family's rapid response to the girl's cries caused the coyotes to run away.
Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP/Shutterstock People hit the beach in Huntington Beach, California
"It was enough to terrorize that poor little girl," he said, "and, thankfully, the family was there because it would not have ended well and the nature of the injuries were enough to get the little girl to the hospital."
Earlier this month, the HBPD warned locals to not leave food out for coyotes in a Facebook post outlining the dangers of feeding the animals. The post was made after the department "received numerous reports of residents leaving food out to feed coyotes," which they noted "is not only dangerous, but also illegal."
"Leaving food in residential areas encourages coyotes to return to the area and creates hazardous conditions for residents, pets, & coyotes," the department said in its post, promising to provide "additional tips & information" about the department's plan to "work with the community to address coyotes" in the Huntington Beach area.
California Fish and Game also warns against feeding coyotes on its website. Doing so, they say, can result in "deadly conflicts with pets or livestock, or serious injuries to small children."
The department also cautioned against leaving small children and pets unattended when outside.
