Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers say they have trapped and killed the coyote that attacked a 4-year-old girl near Colorado Springs on Thanksgiving.
The girl and another child spotted the animal hiding behind a tree and mistook it for a dog. When approached by the children, the coyote bit the girl in the back of the head, inflicting serious injuries that required her to undergo multiple surgeries.
Parks officers initially said in a statement that it would be “impossible to identify the exact coyote” and announced plans to trap and kill all coyotes found around the neighborhood near the Air Force Academy where the attack took place.
On Thursday, they reported that one of the coyotes killed had human DNA on its paws and human food in its stomach, leading the agency to conclude that it was the animal responsible for the attack.
“The bad news is that a 4-year-old child suffered serious injuries and her family was traumatized because someone was feeding wildlife,” Tim Kroening, CPW’s area manager for the Pikes Peak region, said in a news release.
“Since we began our search, we routinely saw three coyotes that boldly approached houses and clearly had lost their fear of humans. This tells us they were searching for food. As a result, we continue to investigate the source of the feeding.”
The agency killed two coyotes that showed up at the scene of the attack during the three-week search. The suspect animal’s carcass tested negative for rabies, while the second carcass is still undergoing testing.
Coyotes are naturally afraid of humans but may attack if they are being fed, according to the state. Residents can prevent attacks by yelling or throwing rocks if they see coyotes in settled areas.
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