Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Coyote drags 2-year-old just seconds after she’s taken out of car seat in ambush captured on video

‘I saw blood on her pants and on her leg and where she got injured. It was just terrible,’ stunned father says

Bevan Hurley
Sunday 04 December 2022 12:05 EST
Comments
Moment coyote attacks and tries to drag toddler from road in LA

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A coyote ambushed a two-year-old girl moments after she had been taken out of a car seat, in a brazen attack outside her Los Angeles home.

Surveillance footage captured the moment the coyote grabbed the toddler in its jaws and dragged the child several metres across the sidewalk, before her father Ariel Eliyahuo charged at the animal and chased it away.

Mr Eliyahuo told KTLA he and wife Shira just arrived at their Woodland Hills home after taking the child to pre-school when he set her down next to the car.

He heard the child screaming for help and initially thought she might have fallen over.

As the coyote bit down on her legs and dragged her facedown, Mr Eliyahuo shouted at the animal in Hebrew to scare it away.

“I saw blood on her pants and on her leg and where she got injured. It was just terrible,” he told CBS Los Angeles.

Shira Eliyahuo told KTLA the girl had suffered extensive deep scratches and bite marks on her leg.

A coyote attempted to drag a two-year-old girl away in an attack caught on surveillance cameras
A coyote attempted to drag a two-year-old girl away in an attack caught on surveillance cameras (KTLA)

They rushed the unnamed child to a nearby hospital where she was given rabies shots, Ms Eliyahuo told the station.

The family say they have often seen coyotes in the neighbourhood and are calling on wildlife officers to take action.

A California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesperson told CBS it was patrolling the area after receiving numerous reports of an aggressive coyote.

Coyote attacks are becoming increasingly frequent in Los Angeles, with seven occurring in LA County this year, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in