You might remember back in January, when we reported that a 5-year-old boy was attacked and dragged by a coyote in Washington. Well,two more coyotes have been lethally removed from Washington this month after more attacks, including one where a child was bitten, and another where a coyote went up to a group of school children waiting at a bus stop and tried to bite them.
Full release:
Updated statement Friday, March 14, 1:00 p.m.
A second coyote was lethally removed from the south Bellevue area on the night of Thursday, March 13.
Updated statement Wednesday, March 12, 8:00 a.m.
On Tuesday, March 11, at 7:50 p.m., Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Officers received a report of a human-coyote incident with documented injuries in the Factoria neighborhood of Bellevue in King County. A coyote bit a child on the hand. The child was taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for minor injuries and was released later that night. Officers quickly responded to the scene and located two coyotes. Officers were able to lethally remove one at the scene, however the second ran away. Officers are increasing patrols in the area to locate the second animal.
The dispatched animal is being transported to the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab for evaluation. The animal tested negative for rabies.
Earlier on Tuesday, March 11, at approximately 9:45 a.m., WDFW Officers received a report of a human-coyote incident with no reported injuries in the Factoria area. Earlier that morning a coyote went up to a group of children waiting at a bus stop and made attempts to bite them, ripping some clothing and attempting to take a backpack. Adults at the scene intervened and the school bus arrived; the children left on the bus. Fish and Wildlife Officers and Wildlife Conflict staff responded to the scene.
On Monday March 10, WDFW Officers were made aware of an incident that occurred on Friday March 7, near the Tyee Middle School in Bellevue. A coyote grabbed a backpack that had been placed on the sidewalk and ran into the nearby bushes. The student had placed her backpack on the sidewalk after school while she waited to be picked up by a parent.
It is presumed the same animals were involved in all incidents.
Prevention is the best tool for minimizing conflicts with coyotes and other wildlife. Keep cats inside, keep dogs leashed, and avoid early morning and late evening walks with your pet in areas where coyotes are known to be. Don’t leave small children unattended where coyotes are frequently seen or heard.
More information on coyotes in Washington, including tips for avoiding conflicts, is available on this webpage: Coyote | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife
Initial statement on March 7, 4:00 p.m.
On Friday, March 7, at approximately 10 a.m., Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Officers received a report of a human-coyote incident with documented injuries in the Factoria area of Bellevue in King County. Earlier that morning a coyote went into an open garage and bit a man on the leg. The man later went to a nearby hospital to be treated for minor injuries. Fish and Wildlife Officers and Wildlife Conflict staff responded to the scene to locate the coyote. Officers will be increasing patrols in the area and are posting signs at nearby recreational trails.
On Thursday, March 6, at approximately 3 p.m., Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Officers received a report of a human-coyote incident with documented injuries in the Norwood Village neighborhood of Bellevue in King County. Around 5:15 a.m. that morning, a woman was sitting on her back patio when a coyote approached from behind and bit her leg. The woman was able to get inside her residence as the coyote pursued her. The woman later went to a nearby hospital to be treated for her minor injuries. Fish and Wildlife Officers responded to the scene later that afternoon and were unable to locate the coyote.
