SCOTTSDALE, AZ (AZFamily) — Two coyotes were captured and euthanized on Wednesday after wildlife officials said a person walking their dog was attacked in a Scottsdale neighborhood.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department said a coyote got into a fight with a dog near Thomas and Hayden roads.
When the dog owner intervened, the coyote nipped that person, Game and Fish said.
A neighbor saw what happened and reported the incident.
They said one or more coyotes were behaving increasingly aggressively toward people in the area, but this was the first attack.
Game and Fish officers found and removed two coyotes from the neighborhood. They were then put down and are being tested for rabies.
A similar incident happened a day before.
Scottsdale dog owner Kale Carvalho said she was out walking her dog Ghost Tuesday morning along the Coronado Golf Course off Thomas Road and Hayden Road when two coyotes confronted her.
She said Ghost was so scared, he took off running with his leash and the coyotes went after him.
“In my mind, I just thought, ‘Oh my God my dog is about to be killed right in front of me, nothing I can do about it,’” said Carvalho. “I am screaming as loud as I possibly could but when I saw that second coyote come over,I had the moment of helplessness because I knew it was not going to end well.”
Thankfully, two men ran out of their apartment and scared the coyotes.
Ghost was shaken but had no serious injuries.
Officials say when coyotes get too comfortable, they can become more aggressive, and that appears to have happened here.
“The fear can be lost over stages, just can be from being around us and learning that we are less of a threat to them or even no threat at all and as they learn we are not a threat, you see these issues with pets happen more often,” said Darren Julian, with the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
A den of Coyote puppies was found nearby.
A neighbor was angry that the two adult coyotes were put down, saying they were likely trying to protect their pups.
Julian said three baby coyotes were taken to a local sanctuary.
AZGFD reminds Arizonans to be aware of their surroundings and stay away from wildlife.
“This is a time of year when coyotes have young pups and can exhibit aggressive behavior in defense of dens, especially towards domestic dogs. Oftentimes, coyote dens are close to communities and populated areas where there is potential for negative interactions,” officials said in an emailed statement.
If you see aggressive coyote behavior, you’re asked to call Game and Fish at 623-236-7201. In an emergency, call 911.
For more information about coyotes, click/tap here.
See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.
Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.
Copyright 2024 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.
