Coyote
© Getty ImagesCoyote
A 5-year-old Renton boy was injured in an attack by a coyote on New Year's Eve. The injuries were non-life-threatening, and the child was released from a hospital on the same day. State wildlife officials urge parents to use caution when coyotes are sighted and to know how to respond in case of an attack.

Fast action by mom

It could have been far worse, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) said this week. They credited quick action by the boy's mother for preventing more significant injuries after the wild canine attempted to drag the boy into a greenbelt in the city's Maplewood Heights neighborhood.

The attack happened at around 6 p.m. on December 31. According to the WDFW, the animal bit the boy in the upper body and pulled him to the ground before trying to drag him. The child's mother rushed at the coyote, forcing it to release the child.

Although the animal stayed near the area of the attack until WDFW officers arrived, the coyote ran into a forested area nearby after the officers tried to kill it.

Increasing coyote sightings

The WDFW sent a coyote warning in October 2024 after a woman in the Queen Anne neighborhood was injured by a coyote. The bite victim looked out into her backyard and saw her pet dangling from a coyote's mouth. She was bitten on her arm and head as she tried to free her dog. Fish and Wildlife officers patrolled the area in a search for the coyote but did not find it.

In 2023, KIRO reported a coyote nipping at a student near Dearborn Park International Elementary School in Seattle on Valentine's Day.