Coyote that attacked toddler on California beach is euthanized after it was found hiding under a nearby trailer home: Police say there are 'no signs it's rabid'
- Youngster was viciously attacked by a coyote at Huntington Beach in California
- Incident occurred when a mother took her two children to the ocean to paddle
- One of the coyotes was found dead on the beach on Friday morning and was being taken in for rabies testing
- Officers with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife have since captured a second coyote which was found injured under a trailer home near the pier
- The animal has been euthanized
- Officers believe this to be the coyote responsible for the attack but will not know for certain until they compare its DNA to the girl's bite wounds
- Authorities will test both animal carcasses for rabies but said neither appeared to have any signs they were rabid
Wildlife officials have euthanized the coyote believed to have attacked a young child on a California beach after it was found hiding under a nearby trailer home.
Authorities have been searching for the coyote that attacked the toddler and bit her face at Huntington Beach on Thursday.
The unidentified girl, thought to be aged two or three, was taken to hospital by ambulance to deal with her serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
During their search for the animal that carried out the attack, authorities shot two coyotes on the beach which both ran off.
A youngster was viciously attacked by a coyote at Huntington Beach in California. The animal can be seen prowling in the far left of the frame
The incident occurred when a mother took her two children to the ocean to paddle. She did not notice what was happening to one of her kids just feet away
The coyote jumped up and pounced on the youngster knocking her over onto the sand
The girl's face was mauled for around 15 seconds before an adult shooed the animal away
One of the coyotes was found dead on the beach on Friday morning and was being taken in for rabies testing but it was not believed to be the animal responsible for the attack.
Officers with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife have since captured an injured coyote they found under a trailer home near the pier and euthanized it, Captain Patrick Foy said.
Officers believe this to be the coyote responsible for the attack but will not know for certain until they test the carcass to compare its DNA to the girl's bite wounds, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Authorities will test both animal carcasses for rabies.
'There's no evidence to suggest the coyote was rabid, but that test will certainly help alleviate any concerns the family might have,' Foy said.
The disturbing attack against the girl was captured on police's beachcam footage.
It showed the toddler being mauled by a coyote for 15 seconds before her family members noticed.
Two coyotes were shot dead by officials later on Thursday night. One of the coyotes was found dead on the beach on Friday morning and was being taken in for rabies testing but it was not believed to be the animal responsible for the attack
The youngster who is expected to make a full recovery, then got up and ran to one of her parents who reacted in horror.
The little girl was rushed to a hospital by ambulance, with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
Foy was unable to say why the attack occurred. The family did not appear to be doing anything to provoke the wild animals.
Such encounters are relatively rare, Foy suggested that people who encounter the wild animals should try and scare them away by making loud noises.
'Don't feed them. That's the most important thing we can do as a society to keep coyotes from being too comfortable around people,' Foy said
Distressing beachcam footage showed a toddler being mauled by a coyote on a California beach for 15 seconds before her family members noticed.
Video footage taken by a surveillance camera positioned some distance away from the shoreline at Huntington Beach caught the moment the animal went after the youngster knocking over her onto the sand.
It then sunk its fangs into the youngster's head, and savaged her in full view of the camera.
Family members who were with the child didn't even appear to notice what was going on feet away from them as the animal carried out its vicious attack on the little girl.
The coyote can be seen prowling towards the child before making its move and pouncing, knocking her to the ground in the attack which occurred north of the pier at about 9:45pm.
Video shows the animal mauling the child's face for around 15 seconds before she was able to get away.
The youngster then got up and ran to one of its parents who reacted in horror.
Witness Garie Joncon told CBS News: 'There was a coyote right around here, we saw it, and all of a sudden it went by this family.
'And there was a kid on the ground. Five minutes later we walked back, whole crowd around a baby. Baby evidently got bit, and there was blood all over its face.'
A toddler was rushed to hospital after a coyote (pictured) attacked and bit her face
The coyote ran off and although it was shot by cops, it was able to escape again
Police have conducted increased coyote trapping efforts throughout the city for the past several weeks and asked residents to report coyote sightings.
Huntington Beach, on the Orange County coast, has one of California's classic surf breaks and is known as 'Surf City USA.'
The northern Orange County California city of Huntington Beach, by the Pacific Ocean
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