Coyote attack near UTC mall injures two children: What experts say to stay safe

Two young children were recently confronted by a coyote near the Westfield UTC mall — resulting in a bite for one and a hospital evaluation for both.

The incident happened about 9 p.m. on Nov. 25 near La Jolla Village and Towne Centre drives, a San Diego police spokesperson said last week. A 3-year-old child was bitten on the arm and hip and was taken to a hospital. A second injured child was also treated at a hospital, but details as to the nature of the injury were not immediately available.

Both were swabbed to obtain DNA samples of the animal that bit them. The samples were sent to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s forensics lab for testing, and officers worked with U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services to locate and capture the coyote.

Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesman Cort Klopping said DNA from the coyote matched the DNA of the animal that attacked the children. He did not say when, where or how the animal was found.

The coyote was found and euthanized, a spokesperson for the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Dec. 1.

Over the years, coyote sightings have been reported in La Jolla near Bird Rock Elementary and Muirlands Middle schools, near the La Jolla Bike Path and in other residential areas, even during the daytime, when coyotes typically aren’t seen. They have even been seen in and near the beach, including Windansea.

Bird Rock Community Council has consistently acknowledged the issue in their meetings over the last year, encouraging residents to be alert and aware of their presence.

Wildlife experts say the biggest risk from coyotes in urban areas is to small pets. According to the San Diego Humane Society’s website, coyotes “generally avoid humans,” but pet food, compost or trash can draw them closer to residential areas.

The Humane Society recommends residents take the following measures to avoid confrontation with coyotes:

• Avoid feeding pets outside or feed them there for less than an hour and remove the food bowl (or water bowl on a hot day)• Do not leave your animals unattended and off-leash in public areas• Do not feed coyotes• Practice good housekeeping, removing fallen fruit and using enclosed bins for compost and trash to deter coyotes• Leave coyotes alone and if confronted with one, use “hazing” methods including yelling, waving and making noises instead of running away.

Additional guidelines are available at sdhumane.org/resources/coyote-hazing-guidelines. Urban Coyote Research also released an article detailing how to avoid conflict with coyotes, noting the importance of co-existence in non-threatening situations.

“It is important to stress that our relationship with coyotes is directly affected by our behavior — coyotes react to us, and we can foster mutual respect or a lack of respect through cues we send to them,” it writes. “Coyote removal is best employed as a solution only after education has been attempted or if there is an immediate, and obvious, threat to human safety.”