Coyote Drags Toddler From Front Yard

Animal Releases 2-Year-Old Girl When Mom Appears; 3rd Incident In 5 Days

(CBS/AP)  A coyote grabbed a 2-year-old girl by the head and tried to drag her from the front yard of her mountain home in the third incident of a coyote threatening a small child in Southern California in five days, authorities said.

The coyote attacked the girl around noon Tuesday when her mother, Melissa Rowley, went inside the home for a moment to put away a camera, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said in an incident report.

Rowley came out of the house and saw the coyote dragging her daughter toward a street. She ran toward her daughter, and the animal released the girl and ran away, said sheriff's spokeswoman Arden Wiltshire.

Rowley took her daughter to a hospital where the toddler was treated for several punctures to the head and neck area, and a laceration on her mouth.

She was then flown to Loma Linda University Hospital for further treatment. Her injuries were not life-threatening. She was released from the hospital Wednesday afternoon and was expected to fully recover.

State Fish and Game wardens and county animal control authorities set traps for the coyote and were monitoring the neighborhood high in the San Bernardino Mountains about 65 miles miles northeast of Los Angeles.

On Friday, a nanny pulled a 2-year-old girl from the jaws of a coyote at Alterra Park in Chino Hills, a San Bernardino County community about 30 miles east of Los Angeles. The girl suffered puncture wounds to her buttocks and was treated at a hospital.

A coyote came after another toddler in the same park Sunday. The child's father kicked and chased the coyote away.

That incident prompted Fish and Game officials to temporarily close the park, which is near Chino Hills State Park, a natural open space of thousands of acres spanning nearly 31 miles.

Across the country coyotes are moving into cities and suburbs showing up in unusual places - like the one that wandered into a Chicago sandwich shop last year, reports CBS News correspondent John Blackstone.

Blackstone reports that the advice for people who encounter coyotes in the city or anywhere else is to make plenty of noise - that should scare them away.

[ranger1948]

We take land all the time leaving less for animals to survive on and they have to learn to live in a coexistance with us.It is tragic that there is going to be instances where animals clash with humans. I am sympathetic to the victims but also sympathetic for the animals. The animals are always on the losing end of a confrontation. I am glad the children were not seriously injured in these incidents but am sad that now the animals will lose their lives because of it.

[wolf563]

Why would you leave a 2 Yr old alone in the yard ? Because your a MORON !!! Child services should get involved !!!

[caldwellptr]

The Dingo done got my baby!

[onceagirl]

My neighbor is a single gentleman, long time widowed. He had as his only companion, a little pug dog named Dempster. One day while he played golf, a coyote came out of the bushes and seized his little dog and that was it, breaking his heart in the process. As time went on, I noticed little news reports of dead coyotes being found along the golf course''s perimeters. After about a year of this, the coyotes who lived in this area had virtually disappeared. Broken hearts can create such vengeance!

[missybelle-2009]

Overpopulation of animals can be controlled, but it''s probably against the law. As far as getting social services involved in leaving the child alone for a couple of seconds, get a grip. Life''s not a fairy tale, and I can''t see how you can fault the parent. She didn''t rub the child down with bacon grease....

[olebd]

The coyote has learned another lesson. He hasn''t been able to catch a Road Runner and he can''t catch a toddler either. Time to go back to the drawing board and order the Acme Flying Suit.

[elukacek]

why in gods name would you turn your back on a TWO year old outside it''s not like she left the baby in her crib to go to the bathroom she left her 2 yr old outside 2 year olds r busy how stupid! and we r taking over land of these animals and there food sources get over it people hell be happy a rapist didnt grab her baby! the coyote did no wrong get over it!

[dollybaird]

Ranger 1948, you couldn''t have said it better!! Why is all the land being taken away...To build huge houses and malls, in otherwards---GREED!!! (and the animals suffer)

[hwy71so]

Need more hunters in that area to take care of the yote problem. Probably put all the nancy boys and peta freaks on end though.

Sure the yote was just doing what yotes do, but a little population control of the yotes would go a long way in keeping them at bay. Most likely, the urban development has affected the rabbit population, the yotes primary prey, so the yotes are looking elsewhere.

Time to thin the yote population down a mite.

[barbaraf4]

We invaded their habitat and likely destroyed their food chain by building there. This was their land first. If you build in the wilderness, know your enemy and be prepared to co-habitate.

Next time it could be a bear.

[earthangel432001]

Melissa Rowley, went inside the home for a moment to put away a camera

Why was she more concerned about her camera than her 2 year old daughter?

[elukacek]

Hwy71So i think we cut down on the human population such as ignorant people like u!

[haoli25]

You can''t blame the coyote, there probably wasn''t a roadrunner nearby and the kid was wearing ACME pants.

[mamabird62-2009]

Glad to hear to girl is going to be OK. No one has mentioned the October wildfires in Arrowhead that greatly diminished the coyote habitat. Of course they''re on the hunt. I would keep all toddlers under close watch outdoors in that neck of the woods. I saw what a coyote did to my nephew''s lab puppy, they found the poor pup skinned but not yet eaten in the backyard.

[hippychicky-2009]

Poor people in Ca... I''''m glad to see that the tree huggers are getting attacked by the animals they are protecting... Fools..
Out here if we have a problem with critters we have an easy way to fix the problem..
Posted by cornbiker

Let me get this right, did you just say you were glad a two yr old got attacked? The recent wildfires are causing the animals to come from their natural habitats into our streets. Its not the animals fault.
I think precautions should be laid out to protect the children though.

[missybelle-2009]

DaVicar2: She needs to have her children taken away from her, and she needs serious psychological help!

Wow, you are really an alarmist and probably childless, settle down!

[ov442]

hippychicky .. its not just the wildfires, its the massive amount of population and sprawl in CA and the number of communities developed in the locations where animals call or Called home for a thousand years.

Cornbiker Why would you blame the part of society that wants to protect the earth and its animals from people like You? Its the right thing to do. Obviously no one ever taught you right from wrong.
Go back to jail.
The fact that you are happy that children have been attacked by wild animals because people have entered the animals domains, show clearly your lack of humanity and capability to love, show emotion, care for others, and realize whats truly important.
In short, you''re worthless and the only benefit you could bring to society would be to drown yourself.

[mexinvasion]

Parents in these stories always have convenient excuses for leaving a child unattended. "It was just for a few seconds". "I was brushing my teeth." "I was getting some jeans out of the dryer". How about telling us what you were REALLY doing.

[talkingham]

People like combiker just like to get a rise out of the forums since it''s unlikely he is able to get a rise in real life. First his idiot post is compleetely wrong as it''s not the tree huggers who build homes on the perimeters of national wildlife areas, it''s the the Limbaugh lovers like combiker that always cut the trees and move into the pristine areas so their kids won''t have to go to schools with people of color. Classic, ongoing white flight. Combiker would be more at home taking Viagra in the Dominican Republic with Rush than taking a walk in the woods.

Tree-hating Limbaugh lovers move into these wildlife areas complain about the wildlife and build more strip malls so they don''t have to drive 30 miles to get a coke.

[pat1967-2009]

In spite of what some of you think, Coyotes are a useful part of the eco-system. They help keep the rodent population down as well as cleaning up all the animal carcasses along our highways and in the woods. This from someone who also hunts the Coyote in the winter for his coat. I do not want to see them all go, just be controlled. Like it or not, man is an important part of the eco-system in as much as most of the top level predators are well below numbers needed to keep the population of prey animals in check. Hunting is a necessary component of wildlife management.

[minnick8-2009]

it''''s not the tree huggers who build homes on the perimeters of national wildlife areas

Really? I don''t have a lot of examples of tree huggers in the wilderness. However, Robert Redford comes to mind. He owns a mountain in Utah on which he built a ski resort, built a lodge, put up a parking lot, and lighted it for night skiing. When it comes to development in Utah, he is always right there using his name, and face, and star power to make sure that any other development projects are halted.

[minnick8-2009]

I never had a problem with coyotes attacking my children. I never had a problem with Santa Ana winds and wildfires and earthquakes on the San Andreas fault. I didn''t have the money to build a lovely home in the hills of So. CA.

To those who make the choice to build and live in the mts. of S CA, have a nice life. Then don''t complain when you have to take the consequences of living that life.

When you go in the house, be sure to take your children with you.

[fibonacci_]

We are also taking a lot of the land they used to inhabit.

[sanonpad]

All of these homes being built in wooded ares where the animals are supposed to be is some of the blame. It''s the animals natural habitat. We are envading their space. Secondly, Parents mustn''t leave children even for a second. Toddlers are low to the ground and can make eye to eye contact with a predator causing it to attack. I blame parents for not watching over their children better.

[talkingham]

OK Minn, so one treehugger owns land in Utah. He''s not complainging about wildlife in his hood is he? or his kids getting eaten by coyotoes is he - why is coyote pronounced ki-yote anyway. Ever since Roadrunner cartoons everyone in these areas should be aware that they are dedicated hunters of anything smaller than themselves that moves. And they certainly aren''t limited to hoods in SC where parents are dumb enough to leave their toddlers in dragging range of a street by any predator, much less a po little ol ki-yote.

And for the tree-haters out there go build your houses out of used tires or plastic or whatever suits you, build ''em out of what will soon be useless SUVs getting 8 miles a gal for all I care.

[prinzowhales]

Kill, poison, trap and destroy these animals...Wolves and coyotes are not your friends--and neither are the two-legged beasts who try to protect them.

[msay3]

Ranger1948: I totally agree with you....You are the only one who really makes sense.

[acolton1]

Well the Coyote was probably hungry and saw the 2 tear old toddler in the front yard and thought it was easy kibble to eat and catch. It was being a Coyote and was hungry. If this is the 3rd incident in 5 days then there must not be much food around for the Coyote''s and people are building homes deeper and deeper into the woods where the Coyote''s live and hunt. A toddler is easier pray then a rabit it so parents need to be with their kids when they are outside. It''s time to start open season on Coyote''s in Lake Aarowhead Califonrnia and open season on Sea Lions in the Columbia River in Oregon.

[acolton1]

Coyote''s are useful but just like deer their populaton reaches a tipping point and needs to be thined out.

[cpaide]

and why is not the child protective services taking this children away from this parents, like the mormans in texas? what, these people are not mormans, so we treat them different now?

[godseyesore-2009]

Remove all San Bernardino County people and send them to Antarctica. It would help the southern California environment and human over-population. Incentivise the reluctant ones by showing that it will help Antarctica develop new beach front property for them to buy, and no earthquakes either.

[usmcvn2]

Posted by godseyesore at 01:03 PM : May 08, 2008


ROFLMFAO!!! :-)

[hippychicky-2009]

and why is not the child protective services taking this children away from this parents, like the mormans in texas? what, these people are not mormans, so we treat them different now?
Posted by cpaide

Oh yes, because the situation is so similar. Really, did you think that statement out before typing it.
This is not a case of abuse or neglect. Just a horrible accident. Did the members of the YFZ "accidently" abuse 100''s of little girls. Get a clue.

[usbrit-2009]

Kill, poison, trap and destroy these animals...Wolves and coyotes are not your friends--and neither are the two-legged beasts who try to protect them.

Posted by Prinzowhales

Don''t you mean to say that the arrival of the coyote in populated parts of So Cal is as a result of a Native Indian/Mexican conspiracy to retake the lands stolen by the white man.

If you meant what you said your ignorance of the balance of nature overwhelms me.

[displeased]

what, these people are not mormans, so we treat them different now?
Posted by cpaide

Dude, your love for mormons is overwhelming your life.

[bestillandno]

Ranger 1948, you couldn''''t have said it better!! Why is all the land being taken away...To build huge houses and malls, in otherwards---GREED!!! (and the animals suffer)

Posted by dollybaird at 09:44 AM : May 08, 2008



And where do you live? In a building or a house that was once land that animals lived on?

[prinzowhales]

USBrit--Trap, poison and shoot...that will restore the balance...DANCES WITH WOLVES...does not erase the damage that these animals do, or the memories of what they have done in the past...and while I find it mildly amusing that joggers are hunted by mountain lions, my sympathies still lie with our species as opposed to the kitty cats...with one exception... the Yellowstone bears may eat their fill of tourists...and I would be willing to chip in for after dinner mints for them.

[magoo2u1]

When I go out into the wilderness to get away from the two legged idiots that clog up the roads, I know there are bears in the area and I behave accordingly. I don''t leave my children alone and I don''t carry raw meat in my pocket. It''s like spear fishing and tying your kill to your belt- your asking for a shark to bite you right in the middle. There are snakes and bears and coyote in the hills , if you build your house close to them behave accordingly.

[lefeaoux]

Time for a deprivation hunt!

[lefeaoux]

Actually, now that I think about it, there might be a peaceful and humane way to deal with this problem. I am not saying this will definitely work but maybe if they repopulated the rabbit population in those hills (wouldn''t be hard to do) the Coyotes may stop trying to eat their children.

[hwy71so]

Do you guys really believe all this nonsense you''re spouting? Do or have you ever had kids? Your ignorance is confounding!

You''re attacking this poor mother as if she knew the coyote was there! This was her yard the child was in!

When coyotes no longer fear man, then actions must be taken to reeducate them for their own preservation. Man will not tolerate the attacks for long and will erradicate the animal. Sound wildlife management will keep the number of animals to a level that the environment will sustain them.

As to the one who mentioned that I''m ignorant. Ha!! That''s funny.

[prinzowhales]

The coyotes approach the cabins because there is no one there who pops off a few rounds to kill them or drive them away...they don''t fear these environs...not when there is garbage and kiddies to be had and no downside to their depredations. Within the last few years a rabid coyote bit a man in the parking lot at Raleigh-Durham International Airport... I saw one padding through Chapel Hill last year at night...passed right in front on my car as I was stopped at a red light...had a lot of dog in it.
If I see one in Chatham County...its a goner...but I haven''t so much as heard them.

[lefeaoux]

The coyotes approach the cabins because there is no one there who pops off a few rounds to kill them or drive them away...they don''''t fear these environs...not when there is garbage and kiddies to be had and no downside to their depredations. Within the last few years a rabid coyote bit a man in the parking lot at Raleigh-Durham International Airport... I saw one padding through Chapel Hill last year at night...passed right in front on my car as I was stopped at a red light...had a lot of dog in it.
If I see one in Chatham County...its a goner...but I haven''''t so much as heard them.

Posted by Prinzowhales at 02:26 PM : May 08, 2008

I live in the desert southwest and we see coyotes here very often. Usually, we see them just outside the city limits but in the smaller towns, it is not uncommon to see them running down the streets at night. The point is, I have never heard of a coyote attack here. They don''t bother us because there is still plenty of rabbits, skunks and other small animals here for them to hunt and eat.

Replenish their food source and they will become less of a problem.

[jn122736]

And where do you live? In a building or a house that was once land that animals lived on?
Posted by BeStillandno at 01:55 PM : May 08, 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BeStillandno,
That is an excellent point.

Several posters here have blamed the victim, or her mother, because they live near or in an area inhabited by wild animals.

The U.S. population has doubled in a few short years to over 300 million.
Entire towns, communities, even cities are sitting on land that, not too long ago, was wild-animal habitat.

There is nothing sadder than a person being hypocritical when they don%u2019t even realize/believe they are being hypocritical.

[radiob-2009]

Coyotes usually attack in packs even with small prey something is not right here with their food supply however they have no "refuge" from this kind of a attack.

[lefeaoux]

Coyotes usually attack in packs even with small prey something is not right here with their food supply however they have no "refuge" from this kind of a attack.

Posted by radiob at 02:36 PM : May 08, 2008

This isn''t entirely true. If they try to take large prey such as deer, etc. then they will work as a pack but you almost never see them hunting in packs. They are usually lone hunters. They live in packs but they do not usually hunt that way.

[rohink-2009]

Nancy_Naive

I wouldn''t expect any other comment from you.
Always the clever one.

Sincerely,

[lefeaoux]

Nancy_Naive

I wouldn''''t expect any other comment from you.
Always the clever one.

Sincerely,

Posted by rohink at 02:42 PM : May 08, 2008

There aren''t that many coyotes in Norfolk!

[joecoolswat]

Here in the suburbs of New York City, we have seen a large growth of Coyotes. I have lived her 40+ years and never saw one, until the past 10 years. The exploding huge populations of white-tail deer, could be the reason for the rise. Lately, they have been grabbing toddlers and dogs from peoples back yards. There is plenty of food for them, but they sieze on the opportunities, not due to lack of food.

[prinzowhales]

LeFeauox--Most of the problem, as I used to see it, was with wild dogs...I ran across them in North Georgia on Management hunts, notched an arrow when they stopped to consider me and they took off...they actually ran a deer through camp late one night...it was alway pretty much ''kill on sight'' with them.

Animals will go for the easiest food...if they think its kids...they''ll go for it. If people started shooting at them in towns, they''ll be more circumspect.

Start making the pickings easy for them and try to protect them and they multiply like rabbits...does the breed a disservice as well...lets the unfit survive.