Reports of a nippy Atwater Village coyote’s demise were premature, after the less-than-mortally wounded animal was spotted limping through the neighborhood where a child was bitten, it was reported Wednesday.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife had reported that the canine had been euthanized and that tests confirmed it was the same animal that attacked a toddler last month, but now they are backtracking, according to CBS2.
One neighbor told the station it was presumed the limping coyote was yet another animal venturing into the area, but the CDFW now says it never took the coyote but instead presumed the creature had lost so much blood that the animal’s death was inevitable and that tracking dogs did not find a carcass, according to the broadcast report.
Wildlife officers responded to the 3300 block of Glenhurst Avenue on Oct. 16 after getting a report that a 16-month-old child was injured in an unspecified coyote-related incident.
The child was treated at a hospital and released, according to the CDFW.
During the evening hours the day of the attack, a coyote was tracked and reportedly killed in the same area, but it was not immediately confirmed if the animal was the same one who bit the child. Then, officials said it was indeed the same coyote.
“DNA samples that were collected from the victim and the coyote that was taken have been analyzed and have confirmed the coyote that was taken is the offending animal,” according to a CDFW statement that cited an update from the department’s Law Enforcement Division.
Neighbors in the area said a coyote nicknamed Wylie had been seen in the area in recent months, with some speculating that people were leaving food and water for the animal.
According to a Los Angeles Times report, a resident who fed the coyote could be charged with a criminal offense as CDFW officials planned to file the results of their investigation into alleged illegal feeding of wildlife with prosecutors. CDFW spokesperson Cort Klopping informed the newspaper Wednesday that it was pursuing charges.
Earlier this year, a pack of coyotes took over a West Hollywood condominium construction site where work had been stalled for years, making the pine-framed multi-story structure their home before they were driven away and the property was fully fenced.
The CDFW offers the following advice in the event of a coyote encounter:
— Keep a safe distance and back away slowly.
— Keep small children and pets close to you.
— Make loud noises: yell, clap or blow a whistle.
— Make yourself look bigger; for example, wave your arms.
“Let the coyote leave the immediate area on its own,” the CDFW advises. “If a coyote makes contact, fight back! Then call animal control or 911.”