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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, as of September 16, 2023[update]:
| Fatal | People | Area | Time Period | Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | All | North America | All years | 2 |
| No | Minors | California | 1978–2003 | 35 |
| No | Adults | California | 1979–2003 | 45 |
| No | Minors | California | 2010–present | 15 |
| No | Children | States outside California | 1997–present | 32 |
| No | Teenagers | States outside California | 2010–present | 5 |
| No | Children | Canada | 2009–present | 10 |
| No | Teenagers | Canada | 2003–present | 5 |
| No | Adults | California | 2016–present | 6 |
| No | Adults | States outside California | 2008–present | 79 |
| No | Adults | Canada | 2010–present | 19 |
| No | Adults | Mexico | 2018–present | 1 |
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.[1] 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.[2]
Coyotes are losing their fear of humans, which is further worsened by people intentionally or unintentionally feeding coyotes.[2] 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.[2]
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.[3]
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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.[2][4]
- 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.[5] 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.[6] A study to determine the factors that led to the attack found that extreme climate changes had caused most of the small animals the local coyotes normally ate to migrate away. This forced them to switch to hunting larger prey like moose and deer for almost the entirety of their diet. The researchers said unprovoked predatory attacks like this are very rare and seem to be linked to extreme ecological conditions (with limited prey).[7]
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 20 kilograms (44 lb). 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.
Non-fatal coyote attacks on minors in California (1978–2003)
A study published in 2004 documented 35 incidents in which a minor escaped likely "serious or fatal injury" if the minor had not been rescued.[8] These included:
- In Pasadena:
- In May 1978, a coyote bit the leg of a 5-year-old girl who was in the driveway of her neighbor's home.
- In May 1979, a young coyote grabbed the throat and cheek of a 2-year-old girl who had been eating cookies on her mother's porch.
- In July 1979, a coyote lacerated the leg of a 17-year-old girl who was attempting to save her dog from being attacked by a coyote.
- In August 1979, a coyote attacked a 5-year-old La Verne girl. Her father and a neighbor saved the girl from being dragged into the bushes.
- In July 1980, in Agoura Hills a 13-month-old girl was grabbed and dragged off by a coyote. She suffered puncture wounds to her midsection before being saved by her mother.
- In August 1988, in Oceanside:
- A coyote nipped and bruised a 4-year-old boy who had been playing in his yard.
- A coyote grabbed a 3-year-old girl by the leg and pulled her down, then bit her on head and neck. The coyote was chased off by her mother and neighbors.
- In June 1990, in Reds Meadow, a 5-year-old girl was attacked and bitten in the head while in a sleeping bag at a campground.
- In May 1992, a coyote attacked a 5-year-old San Clemente girl, biting her several times on her back. The girl then climbed her swing set to escape, and her mother chased the coyote off.
- In October 1992, in Fallbrook, a coyote bit a 10-year-old boy on the head while he was asleep on the back porch of a residence.
- In Griffith Park:
- In March 1995, a coyote stalked and then knocked down 5-year-old girl twice. The girl was rescued by her mother.
- In July 1995, a coyote was chased away, but returned and bit the leg of a 15-month-old girl.
- At University of California, Riverside:
- In June 1995, a coyote chased three boys, biting the 7-year-old.
- In November 1995, a coyote chased playing children, biting a 3-year-old boy.
- In September 1995, a coyote attacked a 3-year-old Fullerton girl in her yard, biting her face, head and thigh.
- In June 1996, in Los Altos, a coyote grabbed a 3-year-old boy by his hand and dragged him toward bushes. The boy's 15-year-old brother scared the coyote away. The child was treated for bites on his scalp and hand.
- In February 1997, in South Lake Tahoe, a 4-year-old girl in a yard was attacked and severely bitten. Her heavy snowsuit protected all but her face. The girl was rescued by her father. The coyote stayed in the unfenced yard until it was shot by police.
- In May 2000, in La Mesa, a 3-year-old boy was bitten on his side, resulting in 4 puncture wounds.
- In June 2001, in Northridge, a 7-year-old girl was attacked and seriously injured by a coyote, despite her mother's attempts to fight off the coyote.
- In July 2001, in Irvine, a 3-year-old boy was bitten by a coyote in the leg while playing in a yard. The attack was interrupted by his father, who was 10-20 feet away.
- In October 2001, in San Clemente, a coyote attacked several children on a schoolyard. An 8-year-old girl was bitten on the back of her neck and scratched. A 7-year-old boy was bitten on his back and arm.
- In November 2001, in San Diego, a coyote that a family had been feeding at their apartment bit their 8-year-old daughter.
- In December 2001, in San Gabriel, a coyote bit a 3-year-old girl in the head, grabbed her shoulder and started to drag her away, but was chased off by her father.
- In May 2002, in Anza-Borrego State Park, a coyote bit a boy, who was sleeping in a sleeping bag, on the head.
- In May 2003, in Highland, a coyote chased a 2-year-old girl into a neighbor's garage, biting her on the arm.
- In August 2003, in Apple Valley, a coyote attacked a 4-year-old boy on a golf course, biting him on the face and neck before he was rescued by his father.
Non-fatal coyote attacks on minors in California after 2003
- On June 28, 2010, a coyote jumped on a 12-year-old girl in Spring Valley. The girl fell backwards and injured her elbow, but she was not bitten.[9]
- On July 18, 2013, at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Cypress, a 2-year-old girl was attacked by a coyote while playing about ten feet away from her mother, who was visiting her grandmother's grave. The coyote grabbed the child and started to drag her off into the bushes, but dropped the child and ran away when "lunged at" by the mother. The child was hospitalized for a 2.5 inch gash to the leg and began precautionary treatment for rabies. Authorities killed three coyotes at the cemetery later that day.[10][11] On October 9, the mother filed a lawsuit alleging that the cemetery was liable for not warning her of the risk.[12]
- On November 16, 2014, a woman claimed that her 4-year-old daughter was knocked down by a coyote outside her Hollywood home. After the attack, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife investigated but couldn't find any coyotes, and a local television news program described the attack as "alleged".[13]
- On December 25, 2014, in Fremont, a boy was bitten in an attack by an apparently sick coyote. He was rescued by his father. Before the attack, about a block away, the coyote had just bitten the leg of a man walking his children to his car outside a home. After the attack, the coyote chased and bit a jogger on a nearby street but ran away when kicked. The police arrived and shot the coyote, which tested negative for rabies.[14][15]
- On January 12, 2015, in Ladera Ranch, outside a baby girl's residence, a coyote with a limp tried to attack and grab the girl from her mother's arms. The mother fought the animal off enough to get inside to safety. After the attack, the coyote killed two dogs and was being pursued by authorities.[16]
- In Irvine:
- On May 22, 2015, a 3-year-old girl was picking up after their dog that she, her twin sister, and her mother had been walking, when a coyote ran out of a hedge and bit at the back of her neck. She was rescued by her mother and other nearby adults. Before the attack, a coyote had chased another girl in the area. After the attack, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife attempted to track and trap the coyote.[17][18]
- On May 22, 2015, at Silverado Park, a 2-year-old girl was in her garage when the door was opened and a coyote in the driveway came in and bit her on the neck and cheek.
- On October 14, 2015, a 31-year-old man and his 3-year-old son were attacked by a coyote while they were in a garden.[19]
- On October 9, 2016, a coyote bit a 6-year-old boy who was playing in Springbrook Park. The boy's father along with bystanders shouted at it and one woman threw sand.[20]
- On July 22, 2016, a coyote bit a 17-year-old girl on her leg at Grant Rea Park in Montebello.[21]
- On March 15, 2018, a 5-year-old boy in Los Angeles was bitten by a coyote on the California State University campus. Police officers shot it the next day.[22]
- On April 1, 2020, a coyote mauled a 5-year-old girl who was visiting Dublin Hills Regional Park with her family.[23]
- On March 12, 2021, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced it had captured and euthanized a coyote that had attacked five people (two of whom were children) in the towns of Moraga and Lafayette since July 2020.[24] One of the children was a 2-year-old boy who was bitten on July 9, 2020 on the leg near Moraga Commons Park's restrooms.[25][26] (See also attacks on adults in California since 2003 below.)
- On August 21, 2021, a coyote attacked a 4-year-old girl in the San Diego suburb of Chula Vista. Her father chased it away.[27]
- On April 28, 2022, a coyote bit a 2-year-old girl on the face at Huntington Beach, several feet away from her mother. The coyote was tracked down and killed. The attack was captured on video.[28][29][30]
Non-fatal coyote attacks on children outside of California
- On December 17, 1997, coyotes bit two children in Scottsdale, Arizona. Neither child had serious injuries.[31]
- On July 29, 1998, a 4-year-old boy was mauled by a coyote while playing in the backyard of his home in Sandwich, Massachusetts on Cape Cod. His mother beat the coyote on the head to drive it off. A responding police officer pursued the animal and shot it.[32]
- In April 2006, two coyotes bit two young children in Bellevue, Washington. The coyotes were euthanized afterwards.[33]
- In Middletown, New Jersey:
- On April 6, 2007, a coyote bit a 22-month-old boy who was playing in his family yard with a friend.[34]
- On May 21, 2007, a coyote jumped out from a bush and bit a 5-year-old boy as he and his sister walked home from a neighbor's house. He needed 46 stitches in the back of his head and rabies shots.[35]
- On December 4, 2008, a 9-year-old boy in Erie, Colorado was snowboarding with his 6-year-old brother behind his house when a coyote attacked him. He used the snowboard to fend off the attack, but was bitten on the arm. A coyote in the area was then killed, but it wasn't clear if it was the same one that had bitten the boy, so he received rabies shots.[36]
- In June 2010, a 6-year-old girl and a 3-year-old girl were attacked and seriously injured in separate attacks by coyotes in Rye, New York. The 6-year-old was attacked by two coyotes on June 25 and the 3-year-old was attacked by one coyote on June 29. There was no indication the animals were rabid, but the girls were given rabies shots as a precaution.[37][38]
- On April 15, 2011, a coyote bit a 2-year-old girl on the neck at a regional park playground in Cave Creek, Arizona. She received rabies shots.
- During a period of two months, from July to September 2011, three children between the ages of two and six were bitten by a coyote in Broomfield, Colorado.[39] All four encounters are thought to have involved the same adult male coyote, who was euthanised.[40]
- On August 24, 2011, a 2-year-old Weymouth, Massachusetts girl was walking next to her grandmother when a coyote knocked the child down, and bit her on the back of her head. The grandmother was having trouble rescuing her, but a neighbor got the pair into a house. The girl was taken to hospital to have her scalp stitched.[41] The authorities hunted the coyote, called off the hunt, and were called back. They shot the animal, but the body was not found, so the girl began a course of rabies treatments. One week earlier, a coyote in the same area tried to attack a landscaper.[42]
- On October 12, 2011, in Saginaw, Texas, a 3-year-old boy spilled his Cheerios outside and his mother went inside the house to refill the bowl then heard a scream and ran back outside where she found the boy lying on the ground confronted by a coyote. He suffered a scratch or welt on his right hand that did not break the skin. The coyote turned its attention to the mother, but the father came out of the house and shot the coyote, which tested negative for rabies.[43]
- On June 22, 2012, at Nehalem Bay State Park on the coast of Oregon, a coyote attacked a 5-year-old girl who was following her family back from the beach on a path through beachgrass. The coyote first grabbed a stick which the girl had been trailing behind her, then bit her on her back, before confronting her father, who succeeded in driving the coyote off. The coyote was not caught, so the child began precautionary treatments for rabies.[44]
- In the evening of March 12, 2013, two young boys in Boulder, Colorado were playing near a creek some distance away from their father, when they were surrounded by two coyotes. The 5-year-old who ran toward his father was bitten on the leg before being rescued by his father. Before this incident, encounters with coyotes had been reported for some time in the Boulder Creek Path area, including attacks on adults, so city had instituted and just completed a four-week "hazing program" to instill fear of humans into the animals. After the incident, officials hunted down and killed two coyotes believed to be the same ones that had bitten the boy.
- In Goose Gossage Park, Colorado Springs, Colorado:
- On May 16, 2013, a coyote attacked a four-year-old girl, knocking her down and biting her on the backside. [45]
- About an hour later, a 2-year-old girl was playing on a slide with her mother and brother. A coyote bit the girl on the head and ran away. She received stitches to close a large gash just over her eye, and staples to close the gashes on the back of her head. The animal was not caught, so she began a course of rabies treatments.[46]
- In the aftermath of these two attacks, authorities conducted a large scale hunt for the animal, which resulted in the death of two adult animals. Area residents said the authorities had been slow to act on their complaints and warnings that the animals were dangerous.[47]
- On October 27, 2013, a 3-year-old boy in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois within an alley was bitten by an animal badly enough to require plastic surgery. The authorities suspected a coyote, and trapped "a handful" in the area.[48]
- On May 22, 2017, a coyote in Stillwater, Oklahoma assaulted an 8-year-old girl in the backyard of her family's home.[49]
- On July 4, 2017, a one-year-old boy was bitten by a coyote in Hastings, Nebraska. His family was lighting fireworks at the time of the incident. He was given rabies shots.[50]
- On November 17, 2017, a twelve-year-old boy in Bainbridge Island, Washington was assaulted by a pack of six coyote when he tried to rescue his two dogs in his backyard. The pack took one of the dogs, but the child was able to retreat to his home with the other. Later, he found scratch marks on his door.[51]
- On December 3, 2017, a coyote bit a three-year-old girl's arm in Snoqualmie, Washington. She was outside on the front porch of their home while her father was on a ladder hanging Christmas lights.[52]
- On March 15, 2018, a nine-year-old girl and her family in Advance, North Carolina were making an attempt to enter their home when a coyote followed and assaulted her. Her mother fended off the animal.[53][54]
- On April 29, 2018, a coyote in Mount Pleasant, New York bit a five-year-old girl while she was visiting a park with her mother and brother. Her mother and an off-duty police officer fought against the animal. Other police officers arrived and shot it. The girl was given rabies treatment, stitches, and antibiotics.[55][56]
- On October 19, 2018, a coyote in Portland, Oregon scratched an eight-year-old girl who was playing outside her home.[57]
- On October 23, 2018, a child in Elyria, Ohio was bitten by a coyote on Oakwood Elementary School's playground.[58]
- On October 30, 2018, a coyote in Portland, Oregon bit a seven-year-old girl who was walking to her house after exiting a school bus. She received rabies shots.[59]
- On November 1, 2018, a coyote in Frisco, Texas assaulted a nine-year-old child. He received rabies treatment.[60]
- On June 13, 2019, a coyote in Fairfield, New Jersey mauled a thirty-four-year-old woman and her four-year-old son in Fairfield's recreational complex.[61]
- On January 8, 2020, a five-year-old boy in Chicago, Illinois was mauled by a coyote near Lincoln Park's Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum.[62]
- On January 20, 2020, a rabid coyote in Exeter, New Hampshire attacked a two-year-old boy while his parents and his two siblings were a walk on a hiking trail near Judes Pond. His father successfully strangled it.[63]
- On August 11, 2021, a three-year-old girl at North Herring Cove Beach in Provincetown, Massachusetts was mauled by a coyote.[64]
- On August 15, 2021, a five-year-old boy in Arlington, Massachusetts was mauled on his leg by a coyote while playing in a sandbox.[65]
- On May 3, 2022, a coyote attacked a two-year-old boy on his porch in Dallas, Texas. State wildlife experts indicated that the coyote was being fed in the neighborhood. Four coyotes in the immediate area were killed in response.[30][66][67]
Non-fatal coyote attacks on teenagers in other states
- On August 6, 2010, in Port Aransas, Texas, two Boys Scouts, 14 and 15 years old, from San Antonio, were bitten by a coyote while sleeping outside their tent on the beach. The boys received preventive rabies shots.[68]
- On February 22, 2012, a 17-year-old boy in Hopkinton, New Hampshire was attacked by a "possibly rabid" coyote while walking his dog in the woods near his house. The coyote approached, the dog ran away, and the coyote attacked the boy, who stood his ground and punched until the animal ran off. The boy took precautionary rabies treatments.[69]
- On October 15, 2012, a 14-year-old boy in Austin, Texas was knocked down by a coyote then attacked on a trail near his home. Texas Wildlife Services said they have received many reports of animal attacks. The teen had a series of rabies shots.[70]
- On July 12, 2015, a 15-year-old boy in Grapevine, Texas was bitten by a coyote when he and his girlfriend were exiting a movie theater.[71]
- On June 9, 2018, a 17-year-old man in Swampscott, Massachusetts was mauled by a coyote in a forest.[72][73]
Non-fatal coyote attacks on children in Canada
- On June 29, 2009, a 2-year-old girl in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia was on a school playground when a coyote assaulted her. Adults in the vicinity chased the animal away.[74]
- On May 31, 2010, a 5-year-old girl in Vernon, British Columbia was mauled by a coyote while walking with her parents and dog near a greenbelt area.[75]
- In January 2012, an 8-year-old girl in Oakville, Ontario was playing in her backyard with a friend when a coyote jumped over the fence and attacked her. The animal chased the children inside the house, then stalked around outside the house, but ran away before the police arrived. Authorities killed a non-rabid coyote found in the area later that day, but the girl was given precautionary rabies shots.[76]
- On September 25, 2013, in St. Catharines, Ontario, a coyote attacked and bit an 8-year-old girl who was walking on a sidewalk behind her stepfather. The animal was not found, so she received precautionary rabies shots.[77]
- On June 26. 2015, two coyotes mauled an eleven-year-old girl in Valleyview, Alberta.[78]
- On May 15, 2018, a coyote in Burnaby, British Columbia assaulted a 3-year-old boy who fell from the front gate of his home.[79]
- In late July 2018, coyotes in Ahuntsic-Cartierville (a borough within the city of Montreal) mauled a five-year-old boy, a five-year-old girl and a three-year-old girl.[80][81]
- On May 6, 2019, a coyote in White Rock, British Columbia mauled a three-year-old girl in Centennial Park.[82]
- On June 19, 2019, a coyote in Toronto, Ontario mauled an eight-year-old boy who was riding his bicycle within the Thorncliffe Park neighbourhood. He received a rabies vaccination.[83][84]
- On July 12, 2021, a two-year-old girl in British Columbia's Stanley Park was mauled by a coyote.[85]
- On June 24, 2023, a nine-year-old boy was mauled by a coyote on the northern edge of Winnipeg, Manitoba while walking with his fifteen-year-old sister. Police said he suffered "significant injuries."[86]
Non-fatal coyote attacks on teenagers in Canada
- On July 14, 2003, a coyote bit an 18-year-old American girl on one of her arms while she was hiking with her parents on the Skyline Trail at Cape Breton Highlands National Park in Nova Scotia.[87]
- On August 9, 2010, a coyote bit a sleeping 16-year-old girl's head twice in her tent while she was camping with her parents on the eastern end of Cape Breton Highlands National Park in Nova Scotia. She received rabies treatment.[88]
- On May 15, 2012, a 14-year-old boy in Westmount, Nova Scotia wearing body armour, motocross pants and boots was attacked by a coyote on a trail near his home. The gear helped him survive the incident.[89]
- On September 21, 2012, a 16-year-old girl was attacked by a coyote in New Waterford, Nova Scotia while she was walking to school. A passing motorist sounded his horn, scaring the coyote away. The Department of Natural Resources hired a professional to trap the animal.[90]
- On June 27, 2021, an 18-year-old girl in Tuscany, Calgary, Alberta was mauled on her leg by a coyote during her high school graduation party. She was given rabies treatment.[91]
On adults
Much of the published scholarly research on coyote attacks on adults comes from California, but press reports detail attacks all across the continent.[by whom?][citation needed]
Non-fatal coyote attacks on adults in California (1979–2003)
Not all the coyote attacks on adults in California between 1979 and 2003 reported by Timm, et al. resulted in injury. In some, bitten articles of clothing or backpacks show that injury was narrowly avoided. In others, the attack was immediately broken off by the coyote once it could make off with an item the uninjured victim was carrying. While several victims were hiking, working, or jogging in unpopulated areas, many occurred at the victim's own home. Many appear to have been "test bites" on people who seemed incapacitated, but as soon as the victim reacted, the attack was abandoned. A selection of these attacks are listed below. Some add context to one or more of the attacks on children listed above. Many began as attacks on a person's pet, provoking sequential counter-attacks.[8]
| Year | Time of year | Location | Victim | Activity | Surroundings | Result | Time of day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | June | Pasadena | M | Picking up newspaper | Yard | Heel bitten | Early morning |
| 1979 | July | Pasadena | M | Jogging | ? | Both legs bitten, chased up tree | ? |
| 1988 | October | San Diego | F | Talking on phone | Yard | Bitten | ? |
| 1990 | June | Reds Meadow | ? | Sleeping | Campground | Hand bitten | Night |
| 1990 | June | Reds Meadow | ? | Sleeping | Campground | Foot bitten | Night |
| 1992 | March | San Marcos | F | Defending dog | Yard | Face bitten | ? |
| 1992 | April | Fallbrook | M | Working | Grove | Bitten | ? |
| 1994 | March | Griffith Park | M | ? | ? | Bitten | Noon |
| 1994 | October | Griffith Park | M | ? | ? | Bitten | 5 pm |
| 1995 | March | Griffith Park | F | Preparing food | Yard | Bitten | Day |
| 1995 | June | Laguna Niguel | M | Stargazing | Yard | Foot bitten | Night |
| 1995 | June | Laguna Niguel | M | Picking up newspaper | Yard | Foot bitten | Mid-morning |
| 1995 | July | Griffith Park | M | Sleeping | Lawn | Foot bitten | 2:45 pm |
| 1995 | July | Griffith Park | M | Sleeping | Lawn | Foot bitten | 4 pm |
| 1997 | January | San Juan Capistrano | Two F | ? | ? | Ankle bitten twice, pulled to ground | ? |
| 1997 | January | San Juan Capistrano | F | ? | ? | Lunch pail stolen | ? |
| 1997 | January | San Juan Capistrano | F | ? | ? | Purse stolen | ? |
| 1997 | January | San Juan Capistrano | M | ? | ? | Shoe bitten | Before dawn |
| 1997 | January | San Juan Capistrano | M | ? | ? | Backpack successfully defended | ? |
| 1997 | February | South Lake Tahoe area | M | Feeding the coyote | ? | Hand that fed it bitten | ? |
| 1997 | September | Pomona | M | ? | ? | Bitten on ankle | ? |
| 1998 | November | San Mateo County | F | Hiking in a group | ? | Buttock bitten | ? |
| 1998 | November | San Mateo County | F | Hiking in a group | ? | Pant leg bitten | ? |
| 1999 | Spring | South Lake Tahoe area | Two | ? | ? | Bitten | ? |
| 1999 | Spring | South Lake Tahoe area | F | ? | Motel parking lot | Bitten | ? |
| 1999 | May | Canyon Country | M | Defending dog | ? | Scratched | Night |
| 1999 | August | Green Valley Lake | F | Defending dog | Yard | "Attacked", captive in car | 8:30 am |
| 1999 | October | Ventura County | M | Bicycling w/dog, six coyotes | ? | "Attacked" | ? |
| 2000 | February | Calimesa | M | Defending dog | Yard | Cuts, scrapes, and bruises | 9 pm |
| 2001 | April | Pomona | 54-year-old F | Defending dog | Yard | Leg bitten | 4:30 pm |
| 2001 | July | Tustin | F | ? | ? | Bitten | ? |
| 2001 | August | Hollywood Hills | M | Defending dog | ? | Bitten 8 times | 11:50 pm |
| 2001 | August | Irvine | F | Defending dog | ? | Bitten | 4:30 pm |
| 2001 | September | Agoura | F | Defending dog | ? | "Attacked" | 7:15 am |
| 2001 | September | Lancaster | M | Walking | ? | Fought off 4 coyotes with walking stick | Morning |
| 2001 | November | La Habra Heights | F | Walking | Golf course | Arm bitten | Daytime |
| 2002 | May | Los Angeles | M | Walking dog | ? | "Attacked" | Evening |
| 2002 | July | Woodland Hills, Los Angeles | F | ? | ? | Arm bitten | 6 am |
| 2002 | July | Woodland Hills, Los Angeles | M | Walking | Between car and garage | Boot bitten | ? |
| 2002 | July | Carlsbad | F | Walking dog, 8-10 coyotes | ? | Bitten | 10 pm |
| 2002 | November | Woodland Hills, Los Angeles | F | Defending dog | ? | Fractured elbow, scratched | 1 pm |
| 2002 | December | East Highland | M | Working | Utility work area | Pants bitten | Evening |
| 2002 | December | East Highland | M | ? | ? | "Attacked" | Evening |
| 2003 | February | Lake View Terrace | "Jogger" | Jogging | Near "neighborhood coyote feeding station" | Ankle bitten | ? |
| 2003 | November | Claremont | M | ? | ? | Successfully defended self w/ walking stick | 8 am |
Non-fatal coyote attacks on adults in California after 2003
- On March 14, 2014, a man walking his Yorkshire terrier in an alley behind his house in Yorba Linda, California was jumped on and knocked down by two coyotes, which took the dog and ran off.[92]
- On December 25, 2014, in Fremont, California, an unhealthy-looking coyote bit the leg of a man walking his children to his car outside a home. The man and the children escaped into the house. After the attack, a boy was bitten by the coyote about a block away, but saved by his father. Police arrived, shot the coyote, and sent the body to be tested for rabies.[14]
- On January 20, 2015, in a residential area of Kensington, San Diego, California, a woman was attacked while jogging. While trying to run away, she was bitten on the leg. After the attack, she began precautionary rabies treatments. The authorities were planning to remove the coyote from the neighborhood.[93]
- On September 8, 2017, two coyotes attacked a forty-three-year-old woman and her cat in Santa Cruz, California. They killed the cat, and the woman received rabies treatment.[94]
- On August 6, 2016, a coyote mauled a man who was working on his car in his driveway near Grant Rea Park in Montebello.[21]
- On August 7, 2016, a coyote mauled a homeless man rummaging through garbage bags at Grant Rea Park in Montebello an hour after midnight.[95]
- On July 9, 2018, a male security guard in Escondido was on patrol at an apartment complex when a coyote mauled him. His boots successfully protected him from being severely wounded by the animal.[96]
- On May 15, 2020, a coyote in Laguna Beach attacked a ninety-one-year-old man who was lifting a newspaper from the driveway of his house.[97]
- On March 12, 2021, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced it had captured and euthanized a coyote that had attacked five people (two of whom were children) in the towns of Moraga and Lafayette since July 2020.[24] (See also attacks on minors in California after 2003 above.)
- On August 12, 2022, a coyote allegedly mauled Dean Karnazes during a race in Marin Headlands, and he fended it off with a jogging pole.[98]
Non-fatal coyote attacks on adults outside of California
Non-fatal coyote attacks on adults in other states
- On May 22, 2008, in an unpopulated area of Maine, a hunter was hunting with a friend, staying hidden and using a turkey call, when he was knocked down and bitten by a coyote. His thick hunting clothing prevented serious injury. The animal fled after the other hunter arrived. The victim was given precautionary rabies treatments.[99]
- In June, 2008, in the Shadow Wood area of the Brooks community of Estero, Florida, a woman was walking her dachshund on a short leash when a coyote grabbed the dog, and tried to run away with it. She grabbed the severely injured dog, but the coyote bit her on the leg. She began precautionary treatment for rabies. The incident was preceded by coyotes regularly feeding on dogs in the area, and followed by authorities hiring a professional trapper to cull area coyotes.[100]
- In January, 2010, in Greenburgh, New York, a woman was taking a daytime walk through a wooded park when she was attacked by a coyote. She screamed and, although she was aware that experts don't recommend it, she turned and ran as fast as she could and escaped, but not before she received puncture wounds and scrapes to her arms, legs, back, and buttocks. The coyote later attacked a pit bull terrier at its home adjacent to the same park, was spotted and chased by a police helicopter, and plans were being made for policemen with hunting backgrounds to try to track down the animal. The woman was given precautionary rabies treatments.[101]
- In Port Aransas, Texas:
- On May 22, 2010, a 24-year-old man sleeping on his friend's patio was attacked by a coyote. When he stood, it retreated to the street, but stayed in the area, watching. The man took a series of rabies shots as a precaution.[102]
- On July 13, 2010, a man sleeping on a beach was bitten by a coyote biting his hand. He completed a precautionary course of rabies treatments.[102]
- On August 4, 2010, a 19-year-old female from San Antonio, Texas was bitten in the head by a coyote. The woman underwent rabies treatment in San Antonio.[103]
- On January 23, 2011, a man was sleeping on the beach was bitten by a coyote. He received precautionary rabies treatment.[104]
- On December 25, 2010, in Dalton, Minnesota, a 48-year-old man was walking his dog when a coyote attacked his dog. While defending the dog, he was bitten on both hands by the coyote.[105]
- In March 2012, a coyote bit two women and a man in Peoria, Arizona.[106]
- In December 2012, in Kent, Washington, a man was attacked by a pack of coyotes in his own backyard.[107]
- On December 12, 2012, at 2 a.m. on the campus of Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, an animal, thought to be a coyote, attacked a student walking back to her dorm.[108][109]
- On the evening of October 8, 2012, a security guard was staffing a booth at the Bingham Canyon Mine, Salt Lake County, Utah, when a coyote entered through an open door and attacked her. The coyote was shot by a policeman.[110]
- In October 2012, in Malabar, Florida, an 84-year-old woman was attacked by a rabid coyote when she tried to prevent it from getting in her chicken coop. Her daughter shot the coyote.[111][112]
- In January 2013, in Boulder, Colorado, officials were trying to decide what to do about coyotes attacking joggers, bicyclists, and dogwalkers on a popular bike path along the Boulder Creek.[113] A jogger who was bitten at first stood her ground and acted aggressively toward the coyote, but then turned and tried to run away, and was then bitten on the ankle.[114][115]
- In May, 2013, in Wrentham, Massachusetts, a woman was with her dog at night when it was attacked by a coyote. The woman was bitten on the hand by the coyote while trying to save her dog. The woman began treatment for possible rabies.[116]
- On September 2, 2013, a man was waxing his car in the driveway of his home northwest of Cumming, Georgia, when he was bitten by a coyote on his leg. He slapped the coyote with a towel, but the coyote kept attacking, but then the man's white German Shepherd body-slammed the coyote. The dog suffered a bite wound to its leg. The man started a precautionary course of treatment for rabies, but the dog's vaccinations for the disease were current.[117]
- On October 14, 2013, at about 5 a.m., just outside Niwot, Colorado in Boulder County, three coyotes attacked a 22-year-old man who was walking to work. The man concentrated on keeping his balance, wielding his flashlight with one arm and pushing the coyotes with the other, keeping the animals in front of him, protecting his neck and face, and retreating. They circled, dodged, and attacked in turn, lunging at his throat, biting, clawing, and landing leaping body-blows.[118] Two days later, officials announced the three coyotes had been killed and that none of them were rabid.[119]
- On November 1, 2013, on a property near a country club on the north end of Mansfield, Ohio, a groundskeeper was attacked by at least three coyotes. The man knocked the animals off him, and escaped on a riding lawnmower. Authorities responded, but the coyotes were not found. Before the attack, the coyotes had been seen "almost every day" on the nearby golf course.[120][121][122]
- On February 10, 2014, in Clement Park, Colorado, a woman was walking her dog in a park when a coyote approaching quickly. She picked up her dog, but the coyote lunged at the pair. The woman kicked the coyote, and it retreated. Before the attack, others had noticed aggressive behavior from coyotes in that park. After the incident, authorities killed five coyotes in the area.[123]
- On March 25, 2014, a woman walking her dog on a street in a residential neighborhood of Orangeburg, New York was attacked by a rabid coyote. She used her jacket as a shield and escaped with the help of neighbors. Police shot the coyote in a nearby backyard.[124][125]
- On March 31, 2014, in a wooded area of Gibson Township, Pennsylvania, a man was bitten by a coyote while breaking up a fight between it and his dog. He then shot the coyote. The dog was unhurt, and the man began rabies treatments.[126]
- On May 14, 2014, in a wooded area on the campus of The University of Colorado, Boulder, a man was walking his dog on leash when it was attacked by a coyote. While defending the dog, the man was bitten on the arm. After the attack, university authorities had warning signs put up and arranged for experts to study the matter.[127]
- On May 14, 2014, in Bourne, Massachusetts, a man was attacked by a pack of three coyotes outside his house while defending his 5-year-old boxer. The pair managed to drive the pack away, but not before sustaining bite wounds. Before the attack, coyotes had killed the man's cats and attacked his neighbor's dog.[128]
- On September 25, 2014, in Okatie, South Carolina, a person was bitten by a rabid coyote.[129]
- On October 4, 2014, on a bicycle path near the Pleasant Hill Road entrance into Black River Wildlife Management Area in Chester Township, NJ, a rabid yet apparently healthy coyote attacked a cyclist causing him to dismount. During the ensuing fight, which lasted about two or three minutes, he used the bicycle to defend himself and to attack the coyote. He was not bitten, but began precautionary treatment for rabies because of the coyote's saliva on his skin. Later that day, another cyclist was bitten on the leg. The next day, they coyote was killed in a fight with a hunter, who was bitten.[130]
- On October 5, 2014, in Black River Wildlife Management Area in Chester Township, NJ, a hunter was bitten by a rabid coyote. The hunter killed the animal. Two days before the attack, a cyclist had been bitten and another attacked.[130]
- On October 14, 2014, while walking on a street in a wooded residential area of Clinton, Connecticut, a 35-year-old man was attacked by a canid, probably a coyote, but possibly a coywolf. The animal bit him severely on the face. Before the attack, coyotes had been detected in the area. After the attack, the man began precautionary rabies treatments, and an appointment to return for evaluation for plastic surgery. The coyote was not found.[131]
- On November 18, 2014, in Greenland, New Hampshire, a woman walking her retriever was attacked by a coyote in a field behind her house. The coyote bit both the woman and her dog. Her husband heard the commotion and drove his truck into the field and tried but failed to drive the animal away with it. He had a gun, but the coyote was too close to the pair to aim at it, so he shot into the air trying, but failing, to scare it away. The dog was being credited with finally driving the animal off, although the dog was bitten many times. After the attack, the woman and her husband started precautionary rabies treatments. Before the attack, coyotes had been often heard, but not often seen in the area.[132]
- On January 5, 2015, in Groveland, Massachusetts two men were attacked by a coyote outside their houses. One of them had his four-year-old daughter with him.[133]
- On April 6, 2015, a man was bitten on the leg by a coyote on the three-acre property outside his home in Saddle River, New Jersey. Earlier, the coyote had attacked a Labrador Retriever and left seven dead puppies in the area. Initially, the man scared off the coyote, but when his back was turned, it bit him from behind. Authorities tracked and killed the animal, which tested positive for rabies.[134][135]
- On July 11, 2016, a rabid coyote bit a person at Leita Thompson Memorial Park in Roswell, Georgia.[136][137]
- On July 27, 2016, a coyote bit a fifty-three-year-old man in Manchester, New Jersey's Pow Mia Memorial Park.[138]
- On August 7, 2016, a woman was bitten by a coyote while walking her dog outside the Cowesett Hills apartment complex in Warwick, Rhode Island.[139]
- On August 8, 2016, a rabid coyote bit a man who was walking in the woods with his two daughters in Lincoln, Pennsylvania.[140]
- On October 2, 2016, a coyote bit two women and a dog in Wolcott, New York.[141]
- On November 30, 2016, two neighborhood residents, a dog, and a trapper were bitten by a possibly rabid coyote in Ossining, New York.[142][143]
- On January 11, 2017, a possibly rabid coyote bit a sixty-six-year-old man who walked with two other adults and their domestic dogs along the Columbia Trail in Long Valley, New Jersey. Police officers subsequently euthanized the animal.[144]
- On February 27, 2017, a rabid coyote bit a man while jogging in Roswell, Georgia. The man pinned the animal to the ground for twenty minutes until paramedics came to his aid. He received rabies treatment.[145]
- On August 16, 2017, a woman was mauled by a coyote along the Glens Falls Feeder Canal in Kingsbury, New York. She was taken to the medical center by a helicopter for rabies treatment due to her severe injuries.[146]
- On October 8, 2017, a rabid coyote in Gervais, Oregon bit a man on a farm after walking up to him and sniffing him. After shooting the animal, the man was treated for rabies.[147]
- On October 20, 2017, a 57-year-old woman in Apple Valley, Minnesota was bitten by a coyote while jogging with her husband at Cedar Isle Park.[148]
- On October 22, 2017, a 22-year-old man in Ashburnham, Massachusetts was bitten by a coyote when he mistook it for a domesticated dog. He received rabies treatment.[149][150]
- On November 20, 2017, a rabid coyote in North Attleborough, Massachusetts bit a woman's leg.[151]
- On December 17, 2017, a woman in Jamestown, Rhode Island was bitten a coyote while attempting to break up its fight with two large dogs at Beavertail State Park.[152]
- On March 17, 2018, a possible rabid coyote in Brookville, Pennsylvania mauled a female nurse leaving her severely wounded and bleeding.[153]
- On April 11, 2018, a rabid coyote in Wake Forest, North Carolina assaulted a man who took out the trash from his house.[154]
- On April 18, 2018, a coyote in Rutland, Massachusetts pounced on a man who was tending chickens in his backyard.[155]
- On May 15, 2018, a woman in Saugus, Massachusetts climbed a tree when she was assaulted by four coyotes while walking with her Labrador at Breakheart Reservation. She called 911 and fire fighters came to her aid.[156]
- On May 19, 2018, a man and his seven-year-old daughter in Mocksville, North Carolina were assaulted by a coyote in their backyard.[157]
- On May 26, 2018, a coyote lunged at a hiker and latched onto his boot in Jones County, Georgia's Hitchiti Experimental Forest. The hiker stabbed the animal with a knife and killed it.[158]
- On July 11, 2018, a man in Greenfield, Wisconsin fended off two coyotes in his front yard while protecting his German shepherd. He did not have severe injuries.[159]
- On July 22, 2018, a man in Orland Park, Illinois was bitten by a coyote five times while walking with his service dog before the dog rescued him. The man received rabies shots.[160][161]
- In September–October 2018, a coyote in Elwood, Illinois assaulted three adults. They all received rabies treatment. A police officer euthanized the animal.[162]
- On December 26, 2018, a coyote in Fort Mill, South Carolina assaulted a man near a friend's home. The man fended the animal by kicking and stomping it, and fatally stabbed it with a knife.[163]
- On January 26, 2019, a man in Kissimmee, Florida was assaulted by a coyote while walking down a street. He successfully knocked it out, but the animal later assaulted the man's wife and their neighbor who successfully kicked it away. The man's wife and their neighbor received rabies treatment.[164]
- On January 29, 2019, a male adult jogger in Frisco, Texas was assaulted by a coyote. He successfully fought against it was and was treated for minor injuries.[165]
- On February 15, 2019, an aggressive coyote in Fruitland Park, Florida assaulted a man and his dog. The man fought against it with a coffee cup.[166]
- On April 1, 2019, a rabid coyote in Salisbury, Vermont assaulted an elderly couple on their farm. The couple successfully recovered in a Middlebury hospital due to rabies treatment.[167]
- On April 6, 2019, a coyote in Braintree, Massachusetts assaulted a woman who was walking with her dog. Another person from her condominium complex noticed her injury and called the emergency number. She was sent to a hospital, but recovered at home.[168]
- On April 17, 2019, a pack of coyotes in Kirtland, Ohio assaulted a woman who was hiking with her ten-year-old male German Shepherd at Lake Metroparks Farmpark.[169][170]
- On August 2, 2019, a woman in Mahwah, New Jersey was mauled by a coyote multiple times. She successfully frightened the animal away by striking it with a baseball bat.[171]
- On September 1, 2019, a rabid coyote in Columbia, South Carolina assaulted four people and two domesticated dogs around an apartment complex.[172][173]
- On September 16, 2019, a coyote assaulted a British woman walking her dog within the backyard of a home in Reading, Massachusetts. She missed her flight back to London due to rabies vaccination.[174]
- On November 14 and November 18, 2019, an "unusually aggressive" coyote in the Rutgers Ecological Preserve, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey attacked and bit two separate people on two occasions. Rutgers police officers killed it, and it tested negative for rabies.[175]
- On January 8, 2020, a thirty-two-year-old man in Chicago, Illinois was attacked by what he thought was a coyote, while walking in the 700 block of North Fairbanks Court.[176]
- On January 16, 2020, a police officer in Columbus, Ohio was mauled by a coyote when he intended to assist a stranded driver. The police officer was hospitalized.[177]
- On January 20, 2020, a rabid coyote in Kensington, New Hampshire lunged at a sixty-two-year-old woman and her domesticated dogs on her front porch.[178]
- On January 28, 2020, a mountain coyote mauled a forty-three-year-old woman who was cross-country snow skiing in Wyoming's Yellowstone National Park.[179][180]
- On February 12, 2020, a Mearns coyote in Saddlebrooke, Arizona bit a seventy-seven-year-old man's leg while he was on his porch.[181]
- On February 13, 2020, a Mearns coyote assaulted an elderly woman who was walking with her dog at Arroyo Chico Park in Tucson, Arizona.[182]
- On February 25, 2020, a coyote in Coral Springs, Florida pursued a twenty-year-old male jogger at Three Mountains Natural Area. He injured his leg while being chased by the animal.[183][184]
- On March 1, 2020, a small pack of coyotes in Southborough, Massachusetts assaulted a woman and her dog. Her husband successfully defended with a broom.[185]
- On October 1, 2020, two women and a boy in Rockville, Maryland were pursued by a rabid coyote. All three victims were treated for rabies afterwards.[186]
- On May 16, 2021, a coyote in Bolingbrook, Illinois bit a woman's foot while she was walking her dog.[187]
Non-fatal coyote attacks on adults in Canada
- On February 10, 2010, in Saint-Charles, New Brunswick, a woman brought her puppy on leash outside in the middle of the night to relieve himself, when a coyote attacked the puppy. The woman tossed the puppy about ten feet away to save it, and the coyote turned on her. The pair fought for more than ten minutes until the woman managed to land a left hook to the jaw, and the animal finally ran off. The woman was not seriously injured, although she needed a bandage on the knuckles of her left hand and a tetanus shot.[188]
- In September, 2012, in Kamloops, British Columbia, a man on a bicycle was attacked by a coyote and forced to stop and fend it off. He used his bicycle to defend himself and stood his ground and behaved aggressively and the coyote soon ran off.[189]
- On May 21, 2013, in Kamloops, British Columbia, a coyote attacked a camper in a sleeping bag, while not in a tent. Conservation officers began hunting for the coyote.[190]
- On December 11, 2013, in Summerland, British Columbia, a pack of three coyotes surrounded and attacked a woman walking her friend's Labradoodle. Although her heavy winter coat took most of the damage, she suffered defensive wounds to the left hand. As a result of this attack, authorities began a cull of area coyotes.[191]
- On January 20, 2014, in Markham, Ontario, two women were bitten by canids, probably coyotes.[192]
- On June 23, 2014, in a residential area Thornhill, Ontario, two women were attacked by two wild canids (thought to be coyotes, coywolves, coydogs, or lupine feral dogs), biting one of them on the leg and the other on the hip. Both began preventive treatment for rabies. Earlier that day, in a nearby area, the same two coyotes had tried to attack at least three other people who escaped into their houses and called police, who arrived and shot at the animals, driving them off while perhaps wounding one of them. At last report, the animals had not been caught, and officials had cancelled city-run outdoor activities and were advising residents to be careful when venturing outdoors, especially with children or domesticated animals.[193][194]
- On July 19, 2014, outside her home in Gravenhurst, Ontario, a woman was exercising her two American Bulldogs when the female dog, which had a neurological disorder, was attacked by an eastern coyote. The woman then attacked the coyote, but it returned to attack the dog three times. Then, the male dog managed to slip its collar and chase the coyote. The woman began rabies treatments.[195]
- On January 31, 2017, three coyotes attacked a man who took his dog for a walk in Alliston, Ontario. The man's dog was able to fend off the coyotes. Neither the man or his dog had any serious injuries.[196]
- On May 13, 2017, a man on a bicycle ride at Country Hills Golf Club in Calgary, Alberta used his bicycle to fend off an aggressive coyote that attacked another man's dog, and subsequently the man escorted them away from the coyote.[197]
- On May 19, 2017, two coyotes attacked a man who took his dog for a walk in Calgary, Alberta. While the man avoided injury, the small dog was killed.[198] That afternoon, a walker suffered another attack. Another attack had occurred a few days before, likely by the same pair of animals.[199] The coyotes had been observed in the small pocket of green for a couple of years, and to feed from a golf clubhouse nearby. City officials closed the walking path.
- On January 8, 2018, a coyote assaulted a woman and her miniature pinscher in Markham, Ontario. Her neighbor rescued them by defending them from with a snow shovel.[200]
- On April 30, 2019, six coyotes in Mississauga, Ontario charged at a woman and her dog on the Etobicoke Creek Trail. The pack mauled her pant legs as she tried to fend them off with a big stick, shouting herself hoarse and pepper spray, but the pack did not relent. The woman she told her dog to flee and it managed to lose the pursuing pack by running in a zig-zag pattern and at one point jumping into the water nearby. A passerby also assisted her in frightening them away.[201]
- On May 30, 2020, a coyote in Riverside South, Ottawa mauled a seventy-four-year-old man.[202]
- On May 13, 2021, a coyote in British Columbia mauled a woman on her leg while she was jogging around Stanley Park.[203]
- On June 20, 2021, a senior woman in Nolan Hill, Alberta was mauled on her leg by a coyote.[204]
- On June 21, 2021, a forty-one-year-old woman and her five-year-old daughter in Nolan Hill, Alberta were mauled by a coyote.[205]
- On June 27, 2021, a fifty-five-year-old woman in Tuscany, Calgary, Alberta was mauled by a coyote while on the phone on her front porch.[206][207]
- On July 7, 2021, a coyote in British Columbia's Stanley Park mauled a man who was practicing yoga. It also mauled a runner and a woman who came to the runner's aid.[208]
- On August 11, 2021, a woman was mauled by a coyote while jogging in British Columbia's Stanley Park. She suffered minor injuries.[209]
Non-fatal coyote attacks on adults in Mexico
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