The National Park Service (NPS) reported that a wild Coyote bites a young child, who might have gotten rabies, on a beach in Massachusetts. These animals range in the US and Canada, so there is a great probability of these attacks happening.
The young child was bitten at the North Herring Cove Beach in the Cape Cod National Seashore last Wednesday night when the animal attacked. The victim was taken to the Cape Cod Hospital with no severe injuries, said the National Park Service (NPS).
Coyotes are getting aggressive
NPS rangers are reporting more interactions between people and these animals during the summer, reported MSN.
One of the problems is that when people try to feed these wild animals, leaving food for them to eat, not bringing leftover food and packages from beach visitors, these animals get used to getting food. They become more aggressive, and they are not afraid of people anymore.
After the incident, the rangers were able to locate the coyote and shot it. Its remains were recovered on Thursday for testing if it has rabies. Getting more unpredictable in their reactions and people getting hurt will cause them to do something to the animal concerned.
Rabies is a kind of virus infecting mammals. It is spread by biting a person, and the saliva transmits the infection via an open wound. The virus goes to the nerves, then to spinal cord and attacks the brain to complete the process.
When bitten by a wild animal or unknown dogs, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends to see a doctor immediately to check if rabies is present. Suppose a wild coyote bites someone, it is essential to get rabies shot to prevent it from getting fatal.
Ways to prevent rabies are to keep away from wild animals, vaccinate pets, and get immediate help after an incident with an animal attack.
Incidents in Canada
Recently a coyote has been involved in an interaction with a human in Vancouver's Stanley Park, even after many animals were euthanized by other incidents, noted CBC.
Scientists are trying to understand why these animals manifest uncalled for behavior even attack humans. Experts explain that having access to food and getting fed has changed how these animals regard people.
The B.C. Conservation Service reported another coyote-related incident which occurred at around 9:30 p.m. last July 12. It also involved a young child picked on by a wild coyote.
The authorities said that toddler was running and was bitten out of nowhere. Luckily, the parents immediately shooed the wild animal away from their child.
Like the North Herring Cove Beach incident, the victim was not fatally injured, with light injuries sustained.
According to Nadia Xenakis, a coordinator working with the Stanley Park Ecology Society, from 2001 to 2020, eight coyote attacks were reported in Lower Mainland. But from December 2020 to July 2021 only, there is a rash of 40 reported attacks on people.
One suggestion to prevent these is to put warnings signs about coyotes attacks with graphics to convey the meaning to visitors, but it takes longer to get the city's approval. A wild coyote attack on humans is likely to happen again in the US or Canada if no further measures are taken.
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