Three coyotes killed after Dallas toddler attacked, officials say

DALLAS — Three coyotes have been killed in the search for the animal that put a 2-year-old boy in the hospital earlier this week.

Adam Henry, a wildlife damage management biologist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said during a news conference on Thursday the goal of the operation is to eliminate coyotes that are showing “aggressive” behavior around the area where the attack occurred in Lake Highlands. The boy’s father has told The Dallas Morning News that his son is in stable condition.

Officials also set up a hotline for people to report coyote sightings.

Following the attack on Tuesday, a police officer found a coyote near the area and shot at it near a park in the area. But it’s unclear whether it was hit before it disappeared into the woods.

Henry told The Dallas Morning News that authorities are also looking for physical characteristics that fit the description of the coyote that attacked the toddler on the porch on Royalpine Drive, but added they may “never possibly know” if the animal is the same one.

Henry said the coyote killed overnight is believed to have approached a woman who was walking her dog Wednesday.

The physical markings on the coyote that was killed overnight closely resembled descriptions provided to wildlife authorities. The coyote that attacked the boy has been reported to be missing a patch of fur on its back and the tip of its tail is white.

“It had very similar markings from the photos we’re seeing on social media platforms and those that have been given to us by residents,” Henry said. “All the others were very similar as well — it’s that close.” Henry said the number of coyotes near the area is not problematic. Instead, he and other wildlife officials who are trying to address the problem are focused on the behavior of the animals when they are around people. “Population size doesn’t matter,” Henry said. “Aggression matters.”

Multiple residents from the neighborhood have said they were upset with the city’s delayed response to coyote activity in the area.

Rebecca Slezak/The Dallas Morning News/TNS A City of Dallas Animal Service Officer removes a camera from a tree two doors down from where, on Tuesday, a 2-year-old was attacked by a coyote in Dallas.