3 coyote attacks on people reported within just days in north Phoenix
PHOENIX - Three people have been bitten by a coyote in north Phoenix within the last three days, the Arizona Game and Fish Department said on Dec. 11.
The first incident was on Saturday, Dec. 9, near I-17 and Happy Valley Road, when a 4-year-old child's leg was bitten while walking with family.
That same day, a man who was jogging in the area was bitten.
"Game and Fish officers removed one coyote Sunday evening and are continuing to search the area," the department said.
On Monday morning, a man was bitten on the heel in the same area.
"All three individuals received medical treatment and rabies shots," AZGFD said.
Notices have been posted in the area to let the public know about what's going on. For now, residents are told to be aware of their surroundings and to keep away from wildlife.
For now, it's not clear if it's one coyote doing the attacking or if it's a few of them.
In the last 26 years, the department says there have been 28 reported attacks on people in the Phoenix metro area.
Coyote attacks on people do occur and have the potential to be serious. There have been 28 coyote attacks on people in the Phoenix metropolitan area in the past 26 years.
While people immediately suspect a rabid animal, that's not always the case, says Game and Fish.
"This seems to be some kind of learned behavior," Alexandra Flickinger with the department said. "We're not sure if it was one coyote or multiple. It was a different circumstance than normal."
‘Wow, that’s a really ugly dog'
Veronica Bland lives in the area and says on Dec. 2 a coyote nipped her calf as she walked behind a nearby shopping center.
"My first reaction, I thought it was a dog. Then I thought, ‘Wow, that’s a really ugly dog,'" she said.
Her skin wasn’t broken and Bland snapped pictures as the coyote trotted off, seemingly not bothered by the encounter.
She says it was either the same coyote or part of a group that has become emboldened. She was sad to hear three had been lethally removed from the area since Dec. 9.
"With all the development in the Valley, you have to be aware of your surroundings," she warned.
Bland's incident isn't included in the three reported to Game and Fish.
"To report any new coyote sightings in the area bordered by I-17 east to 19th Avenue and Pinnacle Peak Road north to Jomax Road, please call the Arizona Game and Fish Department at 623-236-7201. In an emergency, call 911," Game and Fish advised.
Click here for more information on coyotes in Arizona.
Map of the area where the attacks are happening: