TEXAS, USA — An Arlington park has closed after two kids were bitten by a coyote, officials said Tuesday.
The park in the 600 block of Van Buren Drive in North Arlington is closed to the public while animal services staff works to trap the coyote, officials said.
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.
These wildlife sightings have become more common as urban expansion increases. But it's no surprise to wildlife officials that coyotes are found in urban areas, amid rapid population growth.
Where do coyotes live?
Coyotes have adapted easily to the expansion of human communities into their habitat and can occasionally be found in urban and suburban neighborhoods, TPWD says on its website. Coyotes have an extensive range across the United States. They have "slowly filled the void left by the declining population of wolves throughout the country."
In Texas, they range throughout the state, according to TPWD.
"The adaptability of the Coyote and its acute sense of survival make it difficult to identify preferred habitat, although they most typically are associated with open plains in the West and brushy areas in the East," TPWD says online. "Their opportunistic nature has provided them the full advantage of surviving in a rapidly changing environment."
Interaction with humans
Coyotes are "very wary of humans, however they can become accustomed to humans especially if they are fed," TPWD says.
TPWD says on its website coyotes are "opportunistic feeders and will eat almost anything, alive or dead, garbage, meat, fish, vegetables, berries or whatever they can find easily."
TPWD also says they may live alone or in "small packs" of up to six. Breeding season for coyotes lasts from mid-January to early March, and they can have litters of five to seven pups.
Coyotes do hunt at all times of the day, but are more commonly seen more often in the early morning or just before sunset.
Officials say if you run into a coyote, call 911 and don’t approach it. Try these hazing techniques to scare it off:
- Use your body: The simplest method of hazing is making yourself loud and large. Stand tall, wave your arms and yell at the coyote until it runs away.
- Use noisemakers: Try sounding off whistles, air horns, or bells; shake soda cans filled with pennies or pebbles; stomp your feet or bang pots and pans together.
- Use projectiles: Toss sticks, small rocks, cans, tennis balls or rubber balls near the coyote to startle it (do not attempt to hit the coyote with these objects).
- Others: Spray the coyote with a hose or fill a water gun or spray bottle with vinegar water and spray at them. Pepper spray and bear repellant may also be used.
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