Toddler-stalking coyote euthanized

A diseased coyote was captured and euthanized a day after it was seen stalking a toddler in a Redlands neighborhood, the Associated Press reports.

Redlands animal shelter officials say the young female coyote was infested with mange.

The coyote was the same animal that followed a 2-year-old girl late Friday. Police spokesman Carl Baker says the girl's grandfather scared off the coyote.

The incident follows coyote attacks this month in Chino Hills and Lake Arrowhead. Children were bitten in four cases in Chino Hills and once in Lake Arrowhead.

Last week, a coyote entered a Temecula home and was standing over a sleeping child before a nanny threw household objects at the animal and it ran away.

--Tony Barboza

Comments

[observer]

Mange is a skin disease that is totally treatable and not contagious. It is definately not a reason to kill an animal. When people move into the animals food range and things happen to people we act like we are the ones being put out. It is the other way around. Every time an animal does something to a human in these kinds of instances it is killed because of whatever reason that they want to come up with. Too bad for everyone involved and at least that animal will not have to go hungry any more because IT IS DEAD!

[Eleanor]

Observer,
What would you recommend as a solution to the stalking animal? The Department of Fish and Game says that it doesn't help to move coyotes to another area. Once they get this aggressive, they are more likely to attack. Maybe you have a better solution. Please let us hear it.