Video shows coyote chasing child outside Pasadena home

Wild video shows a frighteningly close encounter between a Pasadena toddler and a coyote on Monday afternoon, when the boy gets chased back into his home with the animal following close behind.

Security camera video outside of Aida Svelto's Tamarac Drive home captured 3-year-old Salvo Bessemer's screams as he runs back up the driveway towards the house, just seconds before the coyote appears and begins to follow him. More screaming can then be heard, as Svelto realizes what's happening and tries to scare the coyote away. 

"He grabs onto my legs, I look up, and there is a big, huge coyote," Svelto said. 

Despite her screams, the coyote still lingered and watched them from the trees, she recalled. 

"I waited a second, we came outside, and I said, 'Look, Sal, the coyote is gone,'" Svelto said. "The coyote was not gone. It was right there, just staring at us, so then I screamed again."

She said that the ordeal is a stark reminder to stay alert, even when taking a short walk down the driveway to get into their car. 

"I don't know if he was chasing him, wanting to bite him ... looking for food. I don't know, but it was scary," Svelto said. "I don't want him venturing out, going to play in trees ... I respect coyotes, we shared the land with them, but I don't want them in the gate."

Pasadena Humane Center Wildlife Expert Niltzyn Camacho said that coyote mating season isn't over for another month, which means they're more visible during daylight hours. 

"They are looking for a good den site. They are looking for a mate, they're trying to establish their territory and make sure that no other coyotes in neighboring territories want to start inching into their habitat and their homes," Camacho said. 

She says that coyotes are typically curious creatures, but are not predators of humans. 

"An aggressive coyote would be one that's lunging at you, bearing the teeth, one that's growling, all similar signs to a dog," she said.

Since they're a common sight in Southern California neighborhoods, coyotes are a little more brazen and not as afraid of humans as they should be, Camacho said. She recommends securing trash, removing pet food and hazing coyotes by making loud noises, holding a large object or shaking a can filled with rocks so that they're more wary.