Coyote euthanized after child is injured during interaction in Atwater Village
A coyote has been euthanized after a child was injured in the Atwater Village neighborhood of Los Angeles on Friday, officials said.
According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, wildlife officers responded to the 3300 block of Glenhurst Avenue after reports of a 16-month-old child being injured "after an incident involving a coyote." Officials were not specific about the incident.
The child was treated at a local hospital and subsequently released, CDFW said.
On Friday night, officers found a coyote in the same area where the incident took place. The coyote was then euthanized, officials said.
DNA samples from the child and the coyote have been collected, and they'll be analyzed to determine whether the euthanized animal was the same one that attacked the child.
In August, a coyote nicknamed "Wiley" roamed around Atwater Village and was sometimes seen chasing children. Neighbors raised concern over the animal's behavior, and it was speculated that someone in the area could've been feeding it.
CDFW said it's illegal to feed wildlife and urged residents to secure spaces and remove items that could attract coyotes.
It's not yet clear if the coyote that was euthanized was Wiley.