An aggressive coyote “dragged” a 4-year-old girl to the ground while she was just inches from the front door of her family’s Washington state home in the latest animal attack in the area.
Chang Tong, of Bellevue, told KIRO he was just behind his daughter Lena when the animal tried to pull her away almost immediately after she stepped outside to pet the coyote — which they both initially thought was a dog.
“She [was] about to pet on the dog at that time, and with just one second, the coyote just bit her hand and tried to drag her,” Tong said. “She was dragged to the ground.”
“It was just walking on the [doormat],” Tong recalled.
The frightened father screamed at the coyote and scared it away. He then took his daughter to the hospital, where she was treated for minor injuries and received a rabies shot.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife located two coyotes in the area and killed one.
“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 department said in a statement.
Tong said he plans on keeping the front gate to his $2.3 million home closed from now on to protect his daughter, according to The Daily Mail.
“We may have some weapons, like a stake or a knife, somewhere handy,” he told KIRO.
Bellevue, an affluent suburb of about 150,000 on the eastern side of Lake Washington across from Seattle, has been plagued by coyote attacks of late, with five occurring over one week.
Officials believe the same coyotes have been responsible for the attacks.
The same day Lena was attacked, a coyote approached a group of children waiting at a bus stop and tried to bite them, ripping into some of their clothes.
The day before, a coyote ran off with a student’s backpack outside Tyee Middle School.
A man was hospitalized the week before when he was bitten by a coyote that wandered into his open garage, according to Fish and Wildlife.
A woman was sitting on her back patio the day before that when a coyote crept up behind her and bit her leg. She was able to run inside to safety while the animal continued to chase her, officials said.
WDFW and local police have warned residents to be on the lookout.
“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,” WDFW said in the press release. “Don’t leave small children unattended where coyotes are frequently seen or heard.”
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