Coyote Attacks 3-year old Boy
on Cape Cod
Associated Press, 07/30/98 04:25
SANDWICH, Mass. (AP) - Police shot and
killed a coyote that attacked a 3-year-old boy playing in his back yard
on Cape Cod.
The boy's mother told police she had to
pry the coyote off her son Wednesday night.
Daniel Neal suffered scratches and bites,
but did not appear seriously injured, Sandwich police Sgt. Daniel O'Connell
said. The boy was listed in good condition early today at Children's Hospital
in Boston.
Peter Trull, a coyote researcher, said
it's the first documented coyote attack on a human in Massachusetts.
The female coyote was shot by a police
officer who rushed to the home after a frantic call from the mother. The
animal will be tested for rabies.
Police had increased patrols of the neighborhood
after receiving about a dozen calls in recent days about an overly aggressive
coyote.
Wildlife officials say the state's coyote
population appears to be growing steadily. Some wildlife biologists said
they have lost their ability to effectively manage the coyote population
because a new law bars the use of leg traps. The ban's proponents said
the traps were cruel.
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