2 coyote attacks reported in Chicago; officials urge residents, 'Do not interact'
In the wake of two reported coyote attacks in Chicago, city officials are urging caution and saying these incidents are extremely rare.
A 6-year-old boy was rushed to the hospital on Wednesday afternoon after he was bitten multiple times by a coyote, according to Chicago police.
The boy was with a caretaker on a walking path in the Lincoln Park neighborhood at the time of the attack, Kelley Gandurski, executive director of Chicago Animal Care and Control, said at a news conference Thursday.
The coyote fled, police said, and the boy was taken to a children's hospital in stable condition.
A second coyote attack was also reported Thursday, though Gandurski said she could not confirm that incident.
A 32-year-old man went to Northwestern Hospital Wednesday evening and said he had been walking on a sidewalk when a coyote came from behind and bit him, police said.
He was "listed in good condition and will be treated and released," police said Thursday afternoon.
Gandurski said there was also a reported coyote sighting Thursday afternoon in Lincoln Park. She said police and animal control are canvasing the area and that no sightings have been confirmed.
Over the last week there have also been reports of small dogs being attacked by coyotes and sightings of a particular coyote with a limp around Lincoln Park, Gandurski said.
Gandurski urged residents, "if you see a coyote, please call 311. Do not interact."
She said coyote attacks are "very rare," explaining that the animals "are part of our ecosystem here in Chicago and they have lived among us for generations."
"They prey upon small rodents ... generally they do not want any contact with people," she said.
Gandurski also stressed that coyotes are protected by state law and are allowed to roam free.
Officials will get involved in the event of an attack and if a coyote is in a place where it is not supposed to be, she said.
Just on Tuesday, Chicago Fire Department crews rescued a young coyote from Lake Michigan, according to Chicago Animal Care and Control officials.
ABC News' Jessica Zellermayer contributed to this report.
