Coyote believed responsible for biting 3 children at Arlington park captured, city says

Arlington Animal Services captured a coyote Thursday morning that officials believe bit three children at a local park in separate incidents, the city announced in a news release.

The animal will be “humanely euthanized,” according to the release, and tested for rabies at Texas Health and Human Services in Austin.

A spokesperson for Arlington Animal Services said there was no way to be 100% sure that the animal was the one responsible for biting the children, but thinks it likely because of the unusually aggressive behavior displayed by the coyote when it was captured.

“We hope that this is the right one; however, we are continuing efforts. We’re not stopping now,” the spokesperson said.

According to the spokesperson, the animal displayed aggressive behaviors that were consistent with being habituated to humans, not necessarily rabies, but the city is going to make sure by sending the coyote for testing. They should have the results of the rabies tests Friday, she said.

The only way to test for rabies is to submit a specimen from a deceased animal, the city spokesperson said. She also noted that it would be illegal under Texas law for the city to relocate and release the coyotes.

Arlington Animal Services set traps for the coyote at Parkway Central Park, at 600 Van Buren Drive, and started patrolling the area Saturday after reports that a child had been bitten that day. A coyote bit another child Tuesday, and city officials closed the park. They later learned a third child was bitten at the same location on Monday.

The three children were treated for their injuries and released from the hospital, officials said. They will all receive post-exposure rabies treatment.

One witness who at the park when Tuesday’s attack occurred told the Star-Telegram the coyote came onto the playground, bit a young boy in the ribs and tried to pick the child up and drag him into the nearby woods. A woman screamed at the coyote and threw her shoe at it and a man chased the animal back into the woods, the witness said.

Due to the aggressive coyote behavior, an animal control officer and a police officer were present Thursday morning during student drop-offs at Jones Academy of Fine Arts and Dual Language, an Arlington ISD school not far from the park. The officers saw the coyote on a road near the park and captured the animal after it charged them, according to the release.

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Parkway Central Park, a 16.7-acre space north of Interstate 30 and east of North Cooper Street in the middle of a north Arlington residential neighborhood, remains closed to the public until further notice, according to the release. The city is partnering with the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Wildlife Services to determine next steps.

The city said in a news release Wednesday that it would be working with the USDA wildlife staff to reduce the number of coyotes at the park in an effort to change the pack’s behavior. Coyotes that are removed from the park will be tested for rabies and the families of the children who were bitten will be notified of the results.

Arlington residents are encouraged to report coyote sightings by visiting the city’s Action Center webpage and scrolling down to “Wildlife Sighting.”

Coyotes can be found throughout Arlington, but are typically afraid of people, according to Code Compliance Director Brian Daugherty. Sightings may be common, but aggressive encounters are rare in Arlington, Daugherty said in the release.

“Public Safety is our priority and the City of Arlington had not previously experienced any coyote attacks,” Daugherty said. “Coyotes and other wildlife are now part of our urban environment, and we need to find the best way to coexist.”

When encountering wild animals, the public is urged to not engage with them or feed them. When feeling threatened, residents are encouraged to make themselves look as large as possible and appear intimidating, the city says. Officials advise carrying whistles, air horns or walking sticks to help scare away animals if needed and reinforce their fear of humans.

To learn more about coyote behavior in urban environments, visit the City of Arlington’s Urban Wildlife Animals website.