Texas park closed after 3 children attacked by coyote

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Texas park closed as officials work to trap coyotes

The city of Arlington is partnering with wildlife officials to try to trap one or more coyotes believed to have bitten children in a public park. FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth reports. 

The city of Arlington, Texas, is looking to trap one or more wild animals after three children were bitten by a coyote in a public park.

The attacks happened at Parkway Central Park on Saturday, Monday and Tuesday, FOX 4 reported. The three children were bitten in separate incidents at the park playground or in the parking lot.

“He bit the boy and was pulling, trying to pull him into the woods, I think,” Estreitta De Kluetz, a witness to the most recent attack, told the TV station. “All of a sudden, I hear another mom go, ‘Oh my God! The dog is biting that kid!’ She runs and screams at the dog, and she throws her shoe at it.”

The woman said the coyote let go of the 6-year-old boy and his parents immediately put pressure on the puncture wounds on his chest. 

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Parkway Central Park in Arlington, Texas, where three coyote bites have been reported. (Google Maps)

All three children have been treated for their injuries and released from the hospital. They will all receive post-exposure rabies treatment, the city said. 

Any coyotes removed from the park will be tested for rabies, and the families of children bitten will be notified of the results.

Both FOX 4 ground and SKY 4 crews spotted multiple coyotes in the area Wednesday. 

“Public Safety is our priority and the City of Arlington had not previously experienced any coyote attacks,” Code Compliance Director Brian Daugherty said in a press release. “Should you encounter wildlife, be sure to not engage with them and definitely do not feed them. Should you feel threatened be sure to make yourself as large as possible and appear intimidating. You can also bring whistles, air horns and walking sticks as an added deterrent.”

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Coyote caught napping in backyard in San Francisco. (Animal Care & Control San Francisco)

The city has partnered with the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Wildlife Services to trap and remove one or more coyotes. Barricades have been installed at park entrances, and digital message boards will be placed along the park perimeter to notify the community about coyote activity.

The Arlington school district has also been alerted about coyote activity after a 911 call reported a coyote following pedestrians on Wednesday. 

Arlington police will be present Thursday before and after classes to protect students at a school near the park from coyotes. (KDFW)

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Animal control and police officers will be present on Thursday before and after school to protect students at Arlington ISD’s Jones Academy of Fine Arts and Dual Language. 

The park will remain closed until further notice.