Girl mauled after ‘dog’ hiding behind tree turns out to be a coyote, CO officials say

A 4-year-old girl suffered serious injuries after approaching a dog that turned out to be a coyote — and now Colorado officials are on the hunt.

The coyote attack happened in Colorado Springs on Thursday, Nov. 28, Thanksgiving Day, Colorado Parks and Wildlife said in a Nov. 30 news release.

It was late in the afternoon, in a neighborhood near the Air Force Academy, when the girl and another child spotted an animal crouching behind a tree, officials said. Believing it was a dog, they went up to the animal. It was a coyote.

The coyote “lunged at the girl” and grabbed her by the head, officials said, adding that she suffered “serious injuries.”

The girl’s father jumped into action and rescued her, according to officials.

“This could have been much worse — a tragedy — if not for the quick action of the child’s father to stop the attack, rescue his daughter and scare the coyote off,” Tim Kroening, CPW’s area wildlife manager for the Pikes Peak region, said.

Wildlife officials learned about the attack on Friday, Nov. 29, when the girl was released from a hospital. Now the agency is searching for the coyote.

“Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers and partner agencies are aggressively pursuing (the) coyote,” officials said.

Officials say “it would be impossible” to know which coyote attacked the girl, so they will “lethally remove” any coyotes it finds nearby.

“We don’t know yet what brought the coyote into the yard with this child,” Kroening said. “But it’s an important reminder to everyone to be alert and haze wild animals away from their homes and neighborhoods. That goes for deer, fox, bobcat, bears and other animals. Don’t let them get comfortable around people.”

Coyotes rarely attack people and generally prefer to avoid us, and when attacks do occur they’re not usually fatal, McClatchy News reported. However, a University of California study suggests attacks may be becoming more common.

Coyotes are also more dangerous during certain times of the year than others, according to Kroening.

“Typically when they get aggressive, it’s in the spring and they are protecting a nearby den where they have pups. Or it’s because someone in the area is feeding them,” Kroening said.

This story was originally published December 1, 2024 at 1:33 PM with the headline "Girl mauled after ‘dog’ hiding behind tree turns out to be a coyote, CO officials say."