Coyote captured in Lincoln Park after boy bitten, series of sightings
CHICAGO (WLS) -- A coyote captured on Chicago's North Side is undergoing DNA testing to determine if it's the same coyote that attacked a child in Lincoln Park this week.
Chicago Animal Care and Control said the coyote captured late Thursday is no longer in their custody. The animal has been taken to a local rehabilitation center, where it'll undergo further evaluation and DNA testing to confirm whether it was involved in the attack on the young boy Wednesday afternoon.
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Chicago Animal Care and Control crews tranquilized the injured coyote in the 1700 block of North Dayton at around 10:20 p.m., after it was spotted behind a row of homes.
Officials snared the coyote after a series of incidents were reported in the Lincoln Park and Streeterville areas, but it remains unclear if this is the same coyote reported in the attacks.
Second Ward Alderman Brian Hopkins tweeted Friday morning about the coyote capture, stating that "preliminary indications strongly suggest this is the animal involved in both the attack on the child, and the adult in Streeterville."
In the Streeterville incident, a 32-year-old man told police the coyote came up from behind and bit him Wednesday evening.
Police said the man was walking in the 700 block of North Fairbanks Court at the time.
Earlier that day, a 5-year-old boy was attacked by a coyote near the lakefront in Lincoln Park on the North Side near the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum.
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The child was bitten multiple times at about 4 p.m. in the 2400 block of North Cannon Drive, according to police.
Police said the boy was walking with a caretaker near when he was bitten on the head multiple times.
"The child went up towards the hill and it was reported that the coyote was in the grassy prairie area and then came out and came face-to-face with the child," said CACC Executive Director Kelley Gandurski.
Gandurski said the boy's caretaker and two Good Samaritans fought the coyote off.
She also said coyotes are an important part of the urban ecosystem, preying on small rodents, and typically do not want contact with people.
Although CACC crews captured the coyote suspected in the attacks, they are going to continue their patrols in response to any sightings.
Chicago police said they received a call Friday about a possible coyote running after a jogger near Shedd Aquarium. Police have notified CACC, but no other details are known at this time.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot commended police and Animal Care and Control for their efforts.
"I feel very confident in the way Animal Care and Control and the police department have responded," Lightfoot said. "The fact that we were very quickly able to identify the location of the coyote and get him into custody without doing further harm."
Animal Care and Control officials said they will provide further updates when they're available.
Coyote experts are warning that the recent coyote attacks may indicate highly abnormal behavior.
Coyotes normally perform an important role in the Chicago area to help control rodent, deer and Canada goose populations. They've long been part of life in Chicago and they're protected by the state.
But Chris Anchor, a wildlife biologist with the Urban Coyote Project, said something changes with human interaction.
"If you feed coyotes, it breaks down social behavior. What you end up with is extended family groups coming together, instead of defending territory, feeding on wild things," Anchor said.
"They start for some reason to look at young children," he added.
According to the Urban Coyote Project, about 1,000 coyotes are tagged and tracked in Chicago, and an estimated 2,000 in Cook County.
A look at the city's database of coyote complains shows a steady increase since July 2019, with more calls this January than any other month last year. But a majority were tied to the most recent incidents.
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Chicago Animal Care and Control is assisting police with the investigation into the attacks and other coyotes sightings.
Four to five coyotes were reportedly spotted Wednesday outside of a school near Cleveland Avenue and Division Street, authorities said.
The agency posted a warning on social media about coyote sightings in city neighborhoods.
"While it is extremely rare for a coyote to approach or bite a person, residents should take caution if they encounter a coyote and notify Chicago Animal Care and Control by calling 311," the agency said in a statement.
CACC said if you encounter a coyote you should do everything possible to not engage, but if you must engage then your voice is your best weapon.
"It's really the same thing with grizzly bears, they tell you to make yourself bigger, stand taller, wave your arms around, that will scare them away. It's called hazing," Gandurski said.
