Coyote attacks are events where coyotes attack humans. While these attacks are uncommon and rarely cause serious injuries, they have been increasing in frequency, especially in California. Although media reports generally identify the animals as simply "coyotes", some attackers in northeast North America may be hybrids known as coywolves.
A summary of the reported incidents below, :
Description and background
Coyote attacks on humans are uncommon events and rarely cause serious injuries, but have been increasing in frequency, especially in California. In the 30 years leading up to March 2006, at least 160 attacks occurred in the United States, mostly in the Los Angeles County area. Data from the United States Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and other sources show that while 41 attacks occurred during the 10-year period of 1988–1997, 48 attacks were verified during the 6-year period of 1998 through 2003. The majority of these incidents occurred in Southern California near the wildland-suburban interface.
Coyotes are losing their fear of humans, which is further worsened by people intentionally or unintentionally feeding coyotes. In such situations, some coyotes have begun to act aggressively toward humans—chasing joggers and bicyclists, confronting people walking their dogs, and stalking small children.
Although media reports of such attacks generally identify the animals in question as simply "coyotes", research into the genetics of the eastern coyote indicates those involved in attacks in northeast North America, including Pennsylvania, New York, New England, and Eastern Canada, may have actually been coywolves, hybrids of Canis latrans and wolves.
List of attacks with human injuries
Fatal attacks
Two fatal coyote attacks on humans have been confirmed by experts: On August 26, 1981, a coyote grabbed three-year-old Kelly Keen in the driveway of her father's home in Glendale, California, and dragged her across the road. Her father rescued her by chasing the coyote away and rushed her to a medical center, but she died in surgery due to blood loss and a broken neck. On October 27, 2009, two eastern coyotes (coywolves) mauled 19-year-old singer-songwriter Taylor Mitchell at Cape Breton Highlands National Park in Nova Scotia, Canada. She was on a hiking break from her concert tour when they stalked and chased her down the Skyline Trail. An air ambulance airlifted her to a medical center, but she died a few hours later from severe injuries and blood loss.
Non-fatal attacks
On children
Coyotes are a greater threat to children than to adults. While their bushy hair can make them look quite large, coyotes rarely weigh more than . Also, they are less likely than other canids, such as wolves and dogs, to hunt in packs large enough to take down an adult human.