A coyote seen earlier chewing on a backyard chair and a child's basketball hoop was later involved in a frightening attack on a man in Haverhill, Massachusetts, near a child's birthday party.
The man, identified only as Julio, was treated at a hospital after the attack and is expected to recover, WFXT reported.
Here's what to know
The attack unfolded around 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 18 while Yolanda Delgado was outside carrying her neighbor Katie Murphy's 2-year-old daughter, Remi.
Delgado saw the coyote watching them from about 10 to 15 feet away when her husband told her to run and tried to draw the animal's attention away from them.
"Once he did that, it just ran toward Julio," Delgado recalled. "In that moment he fell, and when he fell, it was just on him."
Murphy's husband saw the coyote on top of Julio and used a folding chair to stop the attack.
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"I mean it's bravery," Murphy told WFXT. "He said he's glad his fight-or-flight kicked in, and fight was his initial reaction."
More background
Julio was left with scratches, bruises, and pain from the fall, though Delgado confirmed that he was not bitten.
He received rabies and tetanus shots as a precaution after going to the hospital.
Encounters like this are becoming increasingly common, largely due to human activity, according to the BBC.
As average temperatures rise, habitats shrink, and land is developed, wildlife and people are being forced into closer proximity, leading to potentially dangerous interactions like this one.
Roughly three hours before the attack, a neighbor recorded video in the yard that appeared to show the same coyote chewing on a chair and a child's basketball hoop, per WFXT.
"He had the stare of predatory, like I'm going to attack," Yolanda Delgado said.
What's being done?
Haverhill Police said two vehicles struck the coyote after the attack, and it was later seen entering a wooded area.
Officers then used a drone in an unsuccessful attempt to find it.
Police believe the coyote is now deceased, though they have not confirmed it and urged locals to be cautious.
Where can I learn more?
The Haverhill attack is one of several alarming coyote encounters reported in neighborhoods and public spaces. These articles cover attacks, chases, and close calls.
• At a national park, a tourist was bitten after luring in a coyote for a closer look.
• In North Carolina, a resident survived a near-fatal encounter with a coyote after sensing he was being watched.
• In Dallas, a coyote chased two children near a popular trail, alarming nearby families.
• In Portland, Oregon, security footage showed a young girl's backyard encounter with a coyote.
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