Coyote attacks 4-year-old girl in Colorado Springs

A 4-year-old girl is recovering from serious injuries after she was attacked by a coyote near her home in Colorado Springs, according to state officials. Officers are searching the area to find and kill any remaining coyotes.

The incident happened late on Thursday afternoon in a neighborhood east of Monument Creek and Interstate 25, not far from the Air Force Academy, according to a statement released on Saturday by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW).

Witnesses said the 4-year-old girl was attacked when she and another child approached a coyote crouching behind a tree in their yard, thinking it was a dog. The animal then lunged at the girl, grabbing the back of her head and causing serious injuries.

“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, the area’s wildlife manager, said in the statement.

The girl was taken to hospital and released on Friday, after which authorities were notified about the incident. CPW officers and partner agencies have since launched a search for any coyotes in the surrounding area.

“Because it would be impossible to identify the exact coyote, CPW and its partners will lethally remove any coyote it can find in the vicinity of the attack,” the agency said. “The carcasses will be sent to a health lab to be examined for human DNA and tested for diseases, like rabies.”

The operation is expected to continue for several days, Kroening said.