Coyote: 3-Year-Old Attacked By Coyote, Residents In Irvine ‘On Edge’

A coyote attacked a three-year-old girl who was out on a walk with her mom, sister, and their dog. According to the OC Register, the incident happened in Irvine, California, just before 6 p.m. on Friday. The young girl was reportedly picking up dog waste, and had bent over at the time of the coyote rushing at her from the bushes.

“The mother and several other people ran up to the coyote and scared the animal off. The girl had bruises but was not bitten and her skin wasn’t punctured, so she won’t need rabies shots. She was treated at a local hospital and released.”

Currently the coyote is still on the loose. While animal control officers spent much of the weekend trying to find the animal, they haven’t had any luck. As a result, residents in the area are understandably on edge.

“One [coyote] started chasing me and my dad. It was about five feet in front of us. It was growling. My dad got a rock and threw it at him, chased him away. My dad always sees packs of them. I’m pretty scared, because I have a two-year-old sister, and we’re outside all the time,” said 11-year-old Emma Aguilar.

“My 3 1/2 year-old son was riding his Big Wheel in Discovery Park. I looked back and there was a coyote about five feet from him on the sidewalk outside of the park. You could tell that the coyote wasn’t scared of people. I was frozen. I didn’t know what to do. Should I charge him or lay back? I yelled to my son to keep pedaling. Then finally a car drove by and honked his horn and scared the coyote off,” said resident David Anderson.

“The coyote wanted my puppy so I put my puppy on my shoulder. I screamed really loud but the coyote was not fearful,” said Ann Laughlin, who also lives in the area.

The coyote attack on the three-year-old could have been far worse. Fortunately, the little girl’s wounds were “superficial,” according to NBC 7.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, coyotes are known to go after dogs, but can also be aggressive toward humans. If someone comes face to face with a coyote, officials suggest making really loud noises to try to scare it off. You should try to act larger than the animal, and be very stern in your approach.

[Photo by David McNew/Getty Images]