I came across this story on CNN. It's a really sad story, but I am even more surprised to learn that a coyote would attack and kill a human...

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/10/29/taylor.mitchell/index.html

It is a very unfortunate and sad story. If you are interested, here's a link to the CBC story that provides a little more detail.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2009/10/28/ns-coyote-attack-died.html

The story is weird. I hope I don't come across as insensitive, but I see coyotes all the time where I live and it's hard to fathom 2 of them killing a person, even if they were 100% trying to. Coyotes are generally just so small compared to even wolves, which almost never kill people. I wonder if more happened then we know about? Like perhaps she tripped and fell and that allowed them to attack easier? I guess we'll never know.

Well, my view is that they are predetors and if they are hungry and see an oportunity for a meal they will take it.

Possible one or both could have had rabies, but supposedly wolves, coyotes etc with rabies only live a week or so.

Weak prey is one thing but a healthy 19 YO is odd.

Edited by tammons on 10/30/2009 07:10:52 MDT.

I live in a part of the world where there are many coyotes, some of them with rabies. I can't recall ever hearing of a fatal attack on a human by coyotes; they are generally timid and elusive. I have heard of cases where people have been bitten by rabid coyotes but I have never heard of a fatal attack. There are, however, quite a few documented cases of fatal attacks on humans by feral dogs. Not just in Arizona but throughout North America.

Since in this particular instance the attacking animals were never seen, other than by the victim, I wonder whether feral dogs might have been to blame. I know that I have had some scary encounters with dog packs.

Edited by Rincon on 10/30/2009 07:12:40 MDT.

You would think that, but some other hikers ran off the coyotes and called 911.

Thats what is sez in the second article.

Meant to say that ferel dogs can be nasty as it gets.

Edited by tammons on 10/30/2009 07:18:06 MDT.

IF you read down the article comments, one person mentions a coydog or coywolf crossbreed. That makes more sense to me that a more aggresive crossbreed would be the culpret.

also interesting that the biologist mentioned in the story had a run in with an aggresive coyote too, that came back and charged a second time. I have never seen any coyotes act like that.

My father years ago, gave me some advise though. He said that if you ever see a wild animal like a fox etc that acts weird and starts walking towards you instead of running away it probably has rabies. It happened to me about 10 years ago with a fox. Very odd. He had is head down and headed stright for me like he was hunting.

Very sad story though about the girl.

Edited by tammons on 10/30/2009 07:27:28 MDT.

Have you seen the other BPL thread on this?

From that thread, here is an article discussing coyote-wolf interbreeding.

From the article linked in this thread:
Bancroft [wildlife biologist] advises hikers to be alert and leave their iPods at home. He also suggests carrying a knife.
Interesting.