14 February 2024
JOHNSTON, R.I. (WPRI) — A hiker was forced to kill a coyote with his bare hands in Rhode Island last week, according to authorities.
Police told Nexstar’s WPRI that the coyote attacked the hiker in a wooded area in Johnston on Friday, Feb. 9. The hiker was able to pin the coyote down by its neck, according to Johnston Police Chief Mark Vieira. It suffocated to death as a result.
Vieira said the coyote had bitten the hiker in the leg.
It’s unclear whether the coyote was acting suspiciously prior to the attack. The state’s Department of Environmental Management (DEM) recovered the coyote’s remains for rabies testing. The department noted there have only been two reports of rabid coyotes in Rhode Island since 1994.
This comes less than a day after a dogwalker was bitten by a coyote in Scituate. The DEM is investigating whether the attacks are connected due to their proximity.
Since the attacks seem “too coincidental,” the DEM plans on measuring the bite marks on both victims to determine whether the wounds were inflicted by the same coyote. Those measurements won’t be collected until after the rabies testing is complete.
Though timid by nature, coyotes will attack if rabid or provoked. If you spot a coyote, the DEM suggests scaring it away by doing the following:
Be as big and loud as possible. Do not run or turn your back.
Wave your arms, clap your hands and shout in an authoritative voice.
Make noise by banging pots and pans or using an air horn or whistle. These sounds can also alert the neighbors.
Throw small stones, sticks, tennis balls or anything else you can lay your hands on. Remember the intent is to scare and not to injure.
Spray with a hose, if available, or a squirt gun filled with water and vinegar.
Shake or throw a “coyote shaker” — a soda can filled with pennies or pebbles and sealed with duct tape.
Coyotes sightings become much more frequent during mating season, which typically begins in January and ends in March, according to the DEM.