Coyote killed near where a child was attacked in Colorado Springs had human DNA on its paws, wildlife officers say

Human DNA found on the paws of one of two coyotes killed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife suggests the animal was the one that attacked a child in Colorado Springs on Thanksgiving. 

The capture comes after weeks of CPW trapping multiple coyotes in and around the northern Colorado Springs neighborhood where the attack occurred when the girl and a friend approached the animal hoping to feed it after mistaking it for a dog. 

CPW spokesperson Bill Vogrin offered no details on how the coyote’s paws still had DNA on them three weeks after the attack, citing an ongoing investigation. 

The child was hospitalized with serious injuries. She was released a day later. 

On Dec. 1, CPW wildlife officers and partners started searching for the animal, saying they believed identifying a singular coyote would be impossible. They ultimately killed two coyotes that repeatedly returned to the scene of the attack. Their carcasses were sent to health labs where it was found one had DNA on its paws and human food in its stomach. That coyote was also tested for rabies with negative results. CPW said the second carcass is still undergoing testing. 

“The good news is that this neighborhood is safe because we caught and removed the coyote that attacked the child on Thanksgiving,” said Tim Kroening, CPW’s wildlife manager for the Pikes Peak area. “The bad news is that a 4-year-old child suffered serious injuries and her family was traumatized because someone was feeding wildlife.

“Since we began our search, we routinely saw three coyotes that boldly approached houses and clearly had lost their fear of humans,” he added. “This tells us they were searching for food. As a result, we continue to investigate the source of the feeding.”

Kroening said the coyote was not to blame for its actions but that CPW could not leave it on the landscape because its lack of fear of humans made it an ongoing threat to other children.

A CPW press release says witnesses saw the child attacked while a large group of children were playing nearby under adult supervision. She and her friend approached the coyote crouched behind a tree. The animal lunged at the girl, grabbing the back of her head and inflicting serious injuries as an adult rushed to her, screaming. The child’s injuries required an overnight stay at a hospital and several surgeries.

In light of the attack, CPW is now urging everyone to familiarize themselves with important tips for keeping coyotes wild and afraid of humans and to protect their children and pets. A variety of hazing strategies and safety information is on its website. 

“Coyotes are omnivores and will eat anything,” Kroening said. “Typically they only get aggressive in the spring when they have pups in a den. Or they get aggressive because someone in the area is feeding them.”