NH Teen Fights Off Suspected Rabid Coyote
HOPKINTON, N.H. (CBS) - A suspected rabid coyote attacked a teen in Hopkinton, New Hampshire on Wednesday.
Jed Aubertin was walking his family dog near his home when a coyote approached them. After the dog ran away, the coyote attacked the teen.
The 15-year-old reportedly punched the coyote in the nose until it left the area.
WBZ-TV's Christina Hager reports
"It jumped up from the edge of the dyke, and then I hit it pretty hard on the side of the head, and then it went down for three or four seconds. I figured it was out, so I kind of let my guard down a little bit, and then it woke back up and grabbed me by my throat. I punched it right in the mouth," said Jed Auberdin.
Auberdin has one regret. He wishes he killed the animal. "I'm just kind of scared. I feel bad because we've got neighbors, a lot of young people in the neighborhood that couldn't defend themselves against it."
During the attack, the teen was scratched and possibly bitten. He received rabies shots as a precaution.
"It's the first time we know of that a coyote has attacked a person in New Hampshire," said Pat Tate, a wildlife biologist with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.
Earlier in the week, a coyote attacked a dog in the same area, and Tate suspects it to be the same coyote.
Anyone that spots the coyote should call Fish and Game Law Enforcement dispatch at (603) 271-3361.
