BROOMFIELD - A Broomfield dad was horrified when, while walking with his 2-and-a-half-year-old son and 9-month-old daughter, a coyote came out of the tall grass in an open-space area and bit his son's behind.
According to the Broomfield Police Department, the coyote bit the boy so hard that he was knocked to the ground. The coyote went back into the high-grassy area after the toddler screamed.
It happened in the Anthem neighborhood in Broomfield, off Highway 7 and Sheridan Boulevard, around 7:30 p.m. on Monday.
The father, who did not want to be identified, says it happened just 50 yards past the trailhead. He yelled at the animal to get him off of his son, but the coyote did not go far. It went to a tree across from the trail and the man says the animal stared at him for a few seconds before running off.
The dad took his son to the local urgent care center where he was treated for "minor puncture wounds."
"The thought is they don't bite people. It's very rare. I never expected something like this to ever happen. Really took me by surprise, obviously," he said.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife are still searching the area for the coyote. If they find the coyote, the officials will remove it from the area.
"This is kind of a bizarre behavior for a coyote. It's not something that is very common. There doesn't seem to be any attractant and at this point we don't know if there has been any feeding," Jennifer Churchill with Colorado Parks and Wildlife said. "Luckily this is very rare. They have learned to live near us and live near us pretty well, and that's what we like them to do."
The father of the 2-year-old says he will now keep a closer watch on his son.
"Admittedly just because it's so fresh in my mind and I saw my son crying, you don't like to see a little one like that down. The initial response will be to keep him a little closer, at my side. If anything I'm at least looking around more and I know it's a possibility," he said.
The Broomfield Police Department routinely provides the following tips regarding coyotes:
- Always keep your pets on a leash when they are off of your property, as required by Municipal Code, and do not allow them to roam
- Never allow your pets to "play" with coyotes
- Do not leave your pet unattended in your yard - if you leave your pet outside, secure it in a fully enclosed kennel,
- Do not feed coyotes or leave food items accessible
- Keep your distance and do not approach coyotes
- Throw rocks or sticks to keep coyotes away
- Make yourself appear big and use a loud authoritative voice to keep coyotes away
(KUSA-TV © 2011 Multimedia Holdings Corporation)