Coyotes typically breed mid-January to early March. During this time, coyotes can become more aggressive.
Although the mating season has ended, neighbors in the Lake Highlands neighborhood in Dallas have noticed a lone coyote patrolling the neighborhood.
The coyote attacked a 2-year-old child outside their Lake Highlands home Tuesday morning. The young boy was hospitalized and was in critical condition.
Sr. Environmental Coordinator/Urban Biologist for the City of Dallas Brett Johnson said events like this are extremely rare, and there is a series of behaviors that typically happen before an incident.
“In talking to the residents, those behaviors were seen, but no one reported it. Anytime a coyote shows “bold with humans” (aggression, approaching, won’t back down from an adult), it should be reported. I’m also getting stories of people intentionally and unintentionally feeding this animal. That is a common precursor to incidents like this,” Johnson said in an email to concerned neighbors.
Thursday morning, Dallas Animal Services confirmed a coyote was shot by crews with the United States Department of Agriculture late Wednesday evening in a residential area near White Rock Lake.
DAS said they were not able to immediately confirm whether the coyote shot and killed was in fact the one that attacked the toddler Tuesday. However, its markings were similar to those of the animal wildlife officials have been hunting since the attack.
Neighbors reported seeing the coyote roaming over the last couple of weeks, but Johnson noted the reports might not have gone through proper channels.
“What we are finding is lot of people were reporting to social media, but not actually reporting to 311,” Johnson said.
