A coyote that attacked a 4-year-old boy near his family’s home in Carson Tuesday has been linked to another attack on a young child, according to authorities.
On Tuesday, surveillance video captured a coyote grabbing the young boy, pulling him to the ground in the driveway of his grandparents’ home in Carson, KABC reported.
“All of a sudden, I just hear him screaming, and I turned around, and I screamed as well because I see the coyote on the top of him,” Sarina Donohoo, the boy’s mother, told the station.
Donohoo said she ran into the house with her son, and the coyote left.
“I was so scared because I know how bad it could have been,” she said. “My initial response was just I need to get him away, and I need to see if he’s OK.”
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife law enforcement division confirmed that it responded to the scene around 8:50 a.m., according to a news release. DNA testing confirmed the coyote is responsible for attacking another child at about 4 p.m. Feb. 11 in Carson.
After the February incident, the Department of Fish and Wildlife said that it tried to capture the coyote and then partnered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, according to the release. On April 2, the agency captured and humanely euthanized the coyote responsible for the attacks.
That same day, two more coyote attacks were reported to Fish and Wildlife and are being investigated, according to the release. A March 26 attack involved a 31-year-old Gardena woman. The other attack happened at about 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson in which a coyote attacked a young child. The Department of Fish and Wildlife is investigating both incidents and has collected DNA samples from the victims for testing.
The agency believes the coyote responsible for the Tuesday and Feb. 11 attacks could also be responsible for one of the other attacks.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife said that the coyote was likely drawn into populated areas by the smell of food waste, unsecured trash cans or pet food left outside. The department advises the community not to leave small pets unsupervised outside, leash pets while walking, remove attractants by putting trash in secure bins, keep livestock and poultry in secure pens at night and to keep bird feeders clean.
If you encounter a coyote, keep a safe distance and back away slowly while maintaining eye contact, according to the agency. Don’t run because it could trigger the animal’s chase instinct. Small children and pets should be kept near adults. Make a loud noise, such as yelling or blowing a whistle, and try to make yourself look bigger by waving your arms. Fight back if the coyote makes contact and call Animal Control or 911.
There is no specific coyote season in California but they are most active between January and March, which is their mating season. They are most active during pup-leaving season between September and November and during dawn and dusk.
