ARLINGTON, Texas — At least one coyote has been captured by officials at an Arlington park that was shut down after biting incidents this week.
WFAA witnessed one of the coyotes get captured by crews and removed from the Parkway Central Park in North Arlington on Thursday morning around 7:30 a.m.
The park remained closed, and it was unclear if the captured coyote was the same coyote suspected of biting two children earlier this week.
WFAA also caught a coyote on camera as it appeared to stalk children as they walked home from school near the park in the 600 block of Van Buren Drive in North Arlington on Wednesday.
City officials said the first child was bitten in the park on Feb. 10. Arlington Animal Services set a trap and patrolled the park, but weren’t able to catch the coyote at that time.
The city closed the park Tuesday evening after being notified a second child was bitten by what is believed to be the same coyote, officials said.
"Animal Services will set out additional traps at the park this evening and will continue patrols to locate and tranquilize the coyote. Parkway Central Park will remain closed to the public on Thursday, Feb. 14,” Arlington officials said in a post Tuesday.
Thomas Mwalo told WFAA his 4-year-old son Trevor was also attacked by a coyote at the playground of Parkway Central Park. He said the attack happened Monday and he had to rescue his son from the animal, which did not appear to be afraid of humans.
"That is one of the most horrifying moment seeing your child being held down with an animal," Mwalo said. "It is one of those moments I will never forget."
He said his son is recovering after hours in the hospital and will be okay, but is still terrified.
"He doesn't even want to go outside the house," Mwalo said.
Mwalo said the animal backed off as he ran toward his son yelling, but did not back down. It stood yards away staring him in the eyes, as if waiting for him to leave his son alone, Mwalo said.
"He wanted the kids. Because probably those ones were the easy target," he said.
He said he never would've brought his kids to the park had he known there was a prior attack.
Ashley Woolnough, Arlington's animal services director, told WFAA that the first bite incident happened around 6 p.m. Saturday. The city put up wildlife cameras and three traps in the area. Woolnough said the city did not initially close the park "because it was such a rare incident."
But after a second bite incident was reported Tuesday evening, the city decided to shut down the park.
Woolnough said that coyotes are in mating season, which could result in the animals being "more active, more territorial and more aggressive."
The city plans to keep the park closed until the issue is resolved.
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