ARLINGTON, Mass. — On two separate occasions, two young children were saved by police Sunday evening after they were attacked by a coyote.
The Arlington Police Department told Boston 25 News officers were first alerted at approximately 5:40 p.m. to Epping Street after receiving reports that a child was bitten by a coyote. When officers arrived on scene, they found a 2-year-old girl in her yard with bite marks on her back after she was dragged by a coyote.
Officers were also called at approximately 5:50 p.m. to Summer Hill Circle for reports of another child attached by a coyote. They found another 2-year-old girl in her yard who was approached by a coyote and scratched.
PREVIOUS: 5-year-old bitten by a coyote in Arlington Sunday
Both children were transported to a nearby hospital for evaluation and suffering from injuries not believed to be life-threatening.
Arlington Police believe it was the same coyote involved in both incidents. Officials are continuing to search the area to locate the coyote and are tracking coyote activity.
Arlington HHS shared tips from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife for safely avoiding interactions with coyotes:
- Never provide food for coyotes or do anything to attract them. Coyotes rely on natural food and typically remain wild and wary of humans.
- Prevent coyotes from accessing food sources, food – including snacks – pet food, birdseed, and food-related trash that can also attract coyotes and other wildlife. Left outside, these foods encourage wild animals to visit residential areas.
- Only feed pets indoors and keep dumpster and trash areas clean, as well as keeping trash containers covered.
- Spend time outdoors. Coyotes generally try to avoid humans, and their natural fear is reinforced when play areas, backyards, and trails are actively used by people. The regular presence of people is a deterrent for coyotes to visit.
- Protect pets from coyotes. Although free-roaming pets are more likely to be killed by automobiles than by wild animals, coyotes do view cats and small dogs as potential food and larger dogs as competition. For the safety of your pets, keep them leashed and under your supervision at all times. Also, remember to feed your pets indoors to avoid attracting wildlife.
If you encounter a coyote, Project Coyote recommends taking steps to scare it away; these steps are known as hazing:
- Stand your ground: Make eye contact and advance toward the coyote while actively hazing until it retreats. Allow room for it to retreat.
- Make sure the coyote is focused on you as a source of danger. Do not haze from a building or car where it can’t see you.
- Continue your hazing efforts, even if there is more than one coyote present.
- Use multiple tools, such as loud sound, light, and exaggerated motion.
- Hazing should be exaggerated, assertive, and consistent. Coyotes have routine habits, so make note of when and where you encounter them. Ask your neighbors to assist in scaring them off.
- If a coyote appears sick or injured, do not attempt to haze it.
- Hazing should be avoided in March through July, as well as if the coyote is a comfortable distance away, or if you encounter a coyote in an open area where a den may be nearby. You should haze a coyote if it approaches you or if you see it comfortably walking in a neighborhood or park.
The incidents remain under investigation by the Arlington Police Department, Arlington Health and Human Services, and the Massachusetts Environmental Police.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2021 Cox Media Group
"save" - Google News
September 06, 2021 at 07:32PM
https://ift.tt/3yK9y6x
Arlington Police help save two children attacked by coyote - Boston 25 News
"save" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2SvBSrf
https://ift.tt/2zJxCxA
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Arlington Police help save two children attacked by coyote - Boston 25 News"
Post a Comment