A coyote has been captured after three children in Arlington, Texas, suffered bites that led to officials closing a public park, city officials said.
The attacks happened at Parkway Central Park on Saturday, Monday and Tuesday, FOX 4 reported. The three children were bitten in separate incidents at the park playground or in the parking lot.
“He bit the boy and was pulling, trying to pull him into the woods, I think,” Estreitta De Kluetz, a witness to the most recent attack, told the TV station. “All of a sudden, I hear another mom go, ‘Oh my God! The dog is biting that kid!’ She runs and screams at the dog, and she throws her shoe at it.”
The woman said the coyote let go of the 6-year-old boy and his parents immediately put pressure on the puncture wounds on his chest.
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All three children have been treated for their injuries and released from the hospital. They will all receive post-exposure rabies treatment, the city said.
“Public Safety is our priority and the City of Arlington had not previously experienced any coyote attacks,” Code Compliance Director Brian Daugherty said in a press release. “Should you encounter wildlife, be sure to not engage with them and definitely do not feed them. Should you feel threatened be sure to make yourself as large as possible and appear intimidating. You can also bring whistles, air horns and walking sticks as an added deterrent.”
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The city has installed barricades at park entrances, and digital message boards will be placed along the park perimeter to notify the community about coyote activity.
The Arlington school district was also alerted about coyote activity after a 911 call reported a coyote following pedestrians on Wednesday.
An animal control officer and a police officer were in the area Thursday morning for pedestrian safety when they spotted the coyote that they said charged at them. Together, the officers captured and secured the animal.
The coyote will be “humanely euthanized,” according to a city Facebook post, and taken to Texas Health and Human Services in Austin for rabies testing.
The park will remain closed until further notice.
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