Hiker 'strangles coyotes with rabies with his bare hands after leg bite'

14 February 2024 , 00:24

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Authorities said the unidentified hiker crushed the Coyote's air supply (Image: WRAL)

After being attacked and bitten on the leg on Friday, a hiker from Rhode Island killed a rabid coyote with his bare hands. According to authorities, the same coyote may have been involved in another attack on a human.

At the time of the attack, the unidentified man was hiking in the Johnston woods, a community located around 10 miles west of Providence's downtown. According to the Johnston Police Department, he stopped the animal's air supply and pinned it down by the neck.

The carcass was brought to a testing facility by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM), and it was there that the Rhode Island State Health Laboratories (RIDOH) verified the diagnosis of rabies.

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Officials said they suspect the same coyote was involved in another attack on a human (WRAL)

According to the Rhode Island DEM, the same coyote is suspected of attacking a dog walker on Thursday in the neighboring town of Scituate. "I urge anyone in Scituate and Johnston who may have come into contact with the coyote to call the RIDOH Infectious Disease division," Rhode Island State Veterinarian Dr. Scott Marshall said in a press release.

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“If pet owners in these two communities believe their pet has interacted with coyote, call or visit your veterinarian," Marshall added. A coyote attacking a person in normal conditions is uncommon. Officials said that since 1994, there have only been three reports of rabid coyotes in Rhode Island.

Rhode Island State Veterinarian Dr. Scott Marshall advised pet owners to stay vigilant (WRAL)

The Departments of Health and Environmental Management advise pet owners to protect their animals "by always maintaining control" and from letting them roam alone in addition to making sure they are up to date on their rabies vaccines. Furthermore, the authorities advise against feeding pets outside and interacting in any way with wild animals or stray or roaming domestic animals. Trash cans must also be "securely" covered.

In 2020, a coyote that was caught in East Providence tested positive for rabies, prompting an animal control officer to warn the public to exercise caution.

Rhode Island authorities have had issues with coyotes in the past (Daytona Beach Police Department)

According to a news release from the city, the coyote was seen acting abnormally on Eastern Avenue, on the grounds of the building that houses WHJY. William Muggle, an East Providence Animal Control Officer, caught the coyote. The Rhode Island Department of Health received a test sample that confirmed it had rabies.

“We ask that people use heightened caution, especially in that area,” Muggle said. “Be sure not to leave pets or children outside unattended. Coyotes are crepuscular, which means they are most active around dusk and dawn, but are often seen outside during the daytime hours as well.”

Mataeo Smith