COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — After a weeks-long search, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) has located the coyote that attacked a 4-year-old girl in Colorado Springs on Thanksgiving.
The incident happened in the late afternoon on Thanksgiving Day in a neighborhood east of Monument Creek and Interstate 25, not far from the Air Force Academy.
Witnesses told CPW that the girl was attacked when she and another child approached a coyote that was crouching behind a tree, thinking it was a dog. The coyote then lunged at the girl, grabbed the back of her head and seriously injured her.
According to CPW, the girl's uncle was able to stop the attack, rescue his niece and scare the coyote off. The girl was treated at the hospital and discharged after an overnight stay.
Colorado Springs Area
CPW hunting coyote that attacked 4-year-old in Colorado Springs on Thanksgiving
After being notified of the attack, CPW rangers began "aggressively pursuing" the animal. In November, CPW said it would "lethally remove any coyote it can find in the vicinity of the attack."
Following a three-week search, CPW "removed" two coyotes that kept returning to the scene and sent both carcasses to health labs for testing. One of the coyotes had human DNA between its toes and human food in its stomach. The agency concluded this was the animal that attacked the girl.
The carcass with human DNA in its paws tested negative for rabies, according to CPW. The second carcass is still undergoing testing.
CPW said it has concluded its search. However, since human food was found in the coyote's stomach, the agency has shifted its investigation to illegal wildlife feeding.
“The good news is that this neighborhood is safe because we caught and removed the coyote that attacked the child on Thanksgiving,” said Tim Kroening, CPW’s wildlife manager for the Pikes Peak area, in a statement. “The bad news is that a 4-year-old child suffered serious injuries and her family was traumatized because someone was feeding wildlife.
“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.”
Due to the coyote's lack of fear of humans, CPW said it "could not leave it on the landscape."
“Our first obligation is to protect human health and safety and we can’t allow dangerous predators to attack children,” Kroening said. “This is exactly why we constantly preach the dangers of feeding wildlife.”
A coyote's diet consists mainly of small animals, including mice, rabbits, squirrels, fish and birds. They also eat berries, vegetables, insects and any other scraps.
CPW is encouraging anyone with information about wildlife feeding to call 1-877-265-6648. Tipsters can remain anonymous.
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