Authorities say a 9-year-old child was attacked by a coyote while playing hide-and-seek in an Oregon neighborhood, prompting wildlife officials to issue safety warnings to residents.
According to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), the 9-year-old and a 3-year-old sibling were playing in their yard in Alameda last week when the wild animal approached. The coyote reportedly grabbed a sock off the older child’s foot and bit down before chasing the youngster.
The child’s father, who was on the porch, quickly intervened by yelling at the animal, successfully scaring it away. The child was taken to a nearby hospital and treated for minor injuries. The current condition of the child has not been released.
Officials from ODFW returned to the area the following day to investigate and distributed flyers warning residents about the “concerning incident.” The agency said it is continuing to monitor the area and coordinating with federal wildlife authorities to ensure public safety.
Coyotes are common across Oregon, living in both urban and rural settings. Wildlife experts emphasized that feeding coyotes or leaving out food sources can increase the risk of aggressive encounters.
“This was a very unusual incident,” said Dave Keiter, district wildlife biologist for the ODFW. “The vast majority of encounters with coyotes are entirely benign.”
Residents in the Alameda neighborhood are being urged to keep a close watch on children playing outside and to scare away any approaching coyotes by yelling, using airhorns, or making loud noises.