The Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) is warning people in Maplewood Heights to be on the lookout for coyotes after a brazen attack on a child.
This came after a five-year-old boy was attacked and dragged away on New Year’s Eve.
Jennifer Maurstad with DFW tells KIRO 7 that around 5:30 pm Tuesday evening, a woman was coming home from work when her son ran outside to greet her. They say this is when a coyote came out of nowhere and bit the boy on the upper arm, then tried to drag him away towards the woods. The mother got the boy back and scared the coyote away long enough to get inside her house.
DFW said the boy has minor injuries and received a rabies vaccine at the hospital.
Maurstad said the DFW officer thinks he was able to shoot the coyote while it was still in the family’s yard, but they have not been able to find the body.
Now, neighbors like Steve Schillinger say the brazen attack is making them think twice about their hiking habits.
“They’re more afraid of us then we are of them, but when they’re getting hungry, and they get hungry, it gets a little dangerous,” Schillinger said.
He tells us this has been a recurring issue in Maplewood Heights for 50 years.
“I know a lot of the neighbors were worried about their pets and over the years there have been a few missing,” He said.
While this one is still potentially on the loose, Maplewood Heights resident Dena Michele Rosko tells us safety is top of mind.
“I make sure we are in a group, not hiking alone, I don’t feel afraid I just take precautions and hope that King County and other people are monitoring the situation,” Rosko said.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife say if you do see a coyote, make sure you can get to a safe place. Once you are there, then report the sighting to them so they can track where the coyotes are bold enough to be close to humans.
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