Investigators are working to determine what caused a coyote to bite and attack a woman who was walking on the University of Iowa campus Monday.
The attack happened at about 4 p.m. Monday while the woman was walking along the Mormon Handcart Trail, 116 Hawkeye Ct., according to a campus safety advisory. The woman reported she felt something biting her ankle. When she turned around, the animal lunged at her and began to bite and scratch her.
Vince Evelsizer, the furbearers and wetlands biologist at the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, said investigators believe the animal was a coyote based on the description given by the victim, but they haven’t been able to locate the animal.
“The victim is being treated for rabies. She had scrapes, bite marks and lacerations on her head, face and upper body, and her arm required stitches,” Evelsizer said.
There haven’t been any recorded cases of a coyote attacking a person in Iowa in more than 20 years, although there are some cases of coyotes attacking small animals, Evelsizer said.
Investigators have two main theories about why the coyote attacked. The first is that it might have rabies, hence the preventive treatment for the victim. Rabies would be a concerning explanation because there haven’t been any other recently documented cases of canine-related rabies in Iowa, and since the animal hasn’t been caught, it could be spreading the disease, Evelsizer said.
The other possible explanation is that it was an adult coyote with a litter of pups nearby and it was acting in defense of its litter. But Evelsizer said investigators have been searching the area and haven’t found evidence of a litter nearby.
The news release lists several safety precautions that can be taken by anyone concerned about animal attacks, including being aware of surroundings, not leaving out food items and vaccinating pets against rabies.
“Our thoughts are with the victim here. We hope she has a good recovery,” Evelsizer said.
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The attack happened at about 4 p.m. Monday while the woman was walking along the Mormon Handcart Trail, 116 Hawkeye Ct., according to a campus safety advisory. The woman reported she felt something biting her ankle. When she turned around, the animal lunged at her and began to bite and scratch her.
Vince Evelsizer, the furbearers and wetlands biologist at the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, said investigators believe the animal was a coyote based on the description given by the victim, but they haven’t been able to locate the animal.
“The victim is being treated for rabies. She had scrapes, bite marks and lacerations on her head, face and upper body, and her arm required stitches,” Evelsizer said.
There haven’t been any recorded cases of a coyote attacking a person in Iowa in more than 20 years, although there are some cases of coyotes attacking small animals, Evelsizer said.
Investigators have two main theories about why the coyote attacked. The first is that it might have rabies, hence the preventive treatment for the victim. Rabies would be a concerning explanation because there haven’t been any other recently documented cases of canine-related rabies in Iowa, and since the animal hasn’t been caught, it could be spreading the disease, Evelsizer said.
The other possible explanation is that it was an adult coyote with a litter of pups nearby and it was acting in defense of its litter. But Evelsizer said investigators have been searching the area and haven’t found evidence of a litter nearby.
The news release lists several safety precautions that can be taken by anyone concerned about animal attacks, including being aware of surroundings, not leaving out food items and vaccinating pets against rabies.
“Our thoughts are with the victim here. We hope she has a good recovery,” Evelsizer said.
Woman attacked by coyote on UI campus
A woman was bitten and attacked by a coyote Monday while walking on the University of Iowa campus. It’s the first recorded case of a coyote attacking a person in Iowa in more than 20 years, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
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