A coyote that was shot by police was confirmed to be responsible for biting a 2-year-old girl in Huntington Beach last week, California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials have announced.
The girl was bitten near the Huntington Beach Pier Thursday night around 9:45 p.m. in an attack that wildlife officials said was unprovoked.
The young girl was knocked down and bitten by the coyote on her head and face. She was taken to the hospital with injuries that were described as serious, but not life-threatening.
Her family called 911, which led to police chasing down and shooting two coyotes.
A wildlife officer responded to the hospital where the girl was taken and used a forensics evidence collection kit and took a swab of the bite to get DNA from the animal that attacked her.
On Sunday, Fish and Wildlife said DNA confirmed that one of the coyotes was responsible for biting the young girl.
Fish and Wildlife will now focus their investigation on whether or not the coyotes had rabies, which is a common concern during coyote attacks. Tests on the carcases of the animals will be conducted at an outside lab and the results are expected in the coming days, officials said.
The young girl’s condition is unclear at this time.