Wounded coyote located in LA after wildlife officials claimed it was euthanized

California wildlife officials walked back their claims that they euthanized a coyote last month after Atwater Village neighbors spotted the wounded animal in the area.

A recent video of the coyote appears to show it limping on three legs across the neighborhood, weeks after the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said it euthanized a coyote after it attacked a 16-month-old child. 

"I am sad for her. I'm relieved she's at peace," said Rebecca Dmytryk, CEO of Humane Wildlife Control. "I am pissed off at what happened and how it happened."

For weeks, Dmytryk has been working with neighbors who reported seeing the wounded and suffering coyote. They said they turned to Dmytryk after they couldn't get a response from CDFW. 

"There's an injured coyote walking the same territory. It had to be the same coyote," neighbor Dan Bree said. 

Last month, CDFW said it collected DNA samples from the victim and the coyote "that was taken" and confirmed that it was the same one that attacked the young child. After the reports surfaced, CDFW admitted that its officers shot the coyote but lost track of it in the wilderness. It added that officers assumed that it would not survive based on the blood loss they saw. 

Dmytryk said she was astonished by how CDFW "screwed up like that." Bree blasted wildlife officials, claiming they weren't being fully transparent about the incident. 

"It's frustrating to know that DFW is not being 100% straight with us on a situation that involves a coyote that already attacked someone once and could potentially do it again," Bree said. 

Bree said he's been watching the injured coyote for days. 

"It all just feels like a really heartbreaking story, both for the child who was attacked and that family who's now traumatized," Bree said. "The same token, I feel bad for this coyote."

CDFW said it finally located the coyote on Tuesday and successfully euthanized the wounded animal.