Two Toddlers Mauled, Dragged By Coyotes Amid Spate Of Wild Dog Attacks In Massachusetts

Two children were mauled in two separate nonfatal coyote incidents on Monday, Sept. 6, as a rise in the attacks of the wild animals in Massachusetts has led to questions of safety and security in the state against coyotes.

The first incident, which happened on Aug. 14, was an attack on a small child who was lounging about on North Herring Cove Beach within Cape Cod National Seashore. The child was transported to Cape Cod Hospital immediately to have their injuries treated, according to CNN.

The coyote that did this was shot and killed by park rangers; its body was tested for rabies to ensure the safety of the child. The child was given an anti-rabies shot by the hospital as a preventative measure.

The second and third incidents happened on Sept. 6 in Arlington, Massachusetts. A two-year-old child was attacked by a coyote, who bit her in the back and dragged her across her yard, according to the New York Daily News.

In the third incident, just ten minutes apart from the second one, another two-year-old child was scratched by what appeared to be the same coyote, who is also linked to a separate attack on another child less than a month ago.

Both children were sent to the hospital for an evaluation of their injuries.

The National Park Service has warned about behaviors that might attract coyotes and cause them to inadvertently harm defenseless children in the area. To keep your home and vacation safe and coyote-free, the National Park Service has some advice to follow.

“This behavior starts with people feeding the coyotes intentionally by leaving food out, or inadvertently by not removing food scraps and packaging from the beach,” they said. “This leads to the animals becoming habituated and bold in attempts to obtain food.”

To prevent any future coyote incidents, the National Park Service asks that people thoroughly ensure that their food is properly disposed of and not left in the open.

“When wild animals lose their fear of people, they behave unpredictably and aggressively, resulting in injuries to people and a sad ending for the habituated animal.”