Arlington Police help save 2 children attacked by coyote less than 10 minutes apart

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. Both children were transported to a nearby hospital for evaluation and suffering from injuries not believed to be life-threatening.

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It may be one of the more densely packed Boston suburbs, but coyotes seem to have taken a liking to certain parts of Arlington - and Jessica Schlenker and Shawn Deshane have the surveillance video to prove it.

“They’re here a lot,” Schlenker said. “They roam the streets.”

And, indeed, that’s precisely what the surveillance tape from their Washington Street duplex shows on two different occasions: a coyote confidently trotting past their driveway. On another occasion, a coyote even ventured right up to their door.

“Typically, you hear they don’t want to attack you,” Deshane said. “So you don’t really think anything of it.”

However, those thoughts may be changing after the two coyote attacks Sunday evening, one of which happened in a yard just behind Deshane and Schlenker’s home.

“Sounded like kids playing at first,” Deshane said. “And I think there were a bunch of kids playing. And then we just heard a girl scream. Didn’t know what was going on because we really couldn’t see anything.”

Arlington Police believe it was the same coyote involved in both incidents but aren’t sure if it’s the same coyote that attacked a 5-year-old boy exactly three weeks earlier, to the hour. On Sunday, August 15 around 5:30 p.m., a coyote attacked a 5-year-old boy less than a mile away.

Officials are continuing to search the area to locate the coyote and are tracking coyote activity.

“Either it’s rabid or it’s what we call habituated,” said Mike Huguenin, assistant director of the Wildlife Research Program at MassWildlife. “Somebody might be feeding it. Or it’s inadvertently getting food sources, easy food sources. And it’s associating it with people. If it was a rabid animal it certainly would not be connected. The animal from two weeks ago would have died within 10 days of exhibiting signs of rabies.”

Huguenin said the chances of catching this coyote are rather low because the traps legal to use are not very effective for coyotes. He also said the association with people can make coyotes more aggressive.

“Not every coyote that’s in that situation, because there’s a lot of coyotes around here, actually go down that path and become habituated,” Huguenin said. “So it’s still really rare to have a coyote attack a person who comes into contact with them.”

Neighbors who saw the attacking coyote after the second incident said it did not appear diseased.

“He’s a good-size, like a shepherd,” one neighbor said. “Nice coat. I’ve seen mangy ones. But no, he’s healthy.”

Based on the behavior, Huguenin is betting this coyote is not infected with rabies. But, if the animal is not found, it’s likely both girls will undergo treatment for the disease as a precaution.

The incidents remain under investigation by the Arlington Police Department, Arlington Health and Human Services, and the Massachusetts Environmental Police.

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.

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