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Ryan Sullivan Staff Writer 2:16 p.m. EDT, June 20, 2011TRINITY, N.C. (WGHP)— A family is warning their community after a toddler was attacked and dragged from a trampoline by a coyote hybrid in Randolph County.The coyote allegedly attacked 3-year-old Maggie Reed while she was jumping on a trampoline with her 6-year-old sister Sierra late Wednesday evening in the Tabernackle community near Trinity.Related 911 Call: Coyote Attacks Toddler on Trampoline PHOTOS: Coyote Attacks Toddler (Warning: Graphic) Topics Vehicles Firearms Defense AUDIO: 911 Call: Coyote Attacks ToddlerThe 100-lb creature, which animal control officials dubbed a "coyote hybrid," grabbed Maggie by her shirt and began dragging her away."(The coyote) tried to get (Maggie) behind my mom's car and tried to drag her in the woods," Sierra said.PHOTOS: Coyote Attacks Toddler (Warning: Graphic)Sierra reacted by yelling for her mother, Sabrina Reed."That's a terrifying feeling when you walk out of the house and see your baby in the mouth of a monster," Reed said.The mother said she immediately jumped on the coyote and did what she could to free Maggie from its grasp with her bare hands."I don't know what I was thinking, but I knew this -- I had to get to my baby or she wouldn't be here," she said.Reed was able to pry Maggie away from the coyote, but the beast refused to leave their home. Reed then called 911.AUDIO: Listen to the entire 911 call"I need a police officer here fast before I shoot this son-of-a-b***," Reed said during the 911 call. "Somebody left their d*** dog loose and it's in my yard and it attacked my babies."Reed said she used an oar to bat the animal away from Maggie and Sierra."The more I hit him, the more he just, I don't know, he kept dodging me," Reed said.More than thirty minutes after the attack began, a neighbor armed with a shotgun arrived to assist.Reed took the firearm and shot the coyote once in its neck. Her neighbor then shot the animal a second time in the head."I did not want to kill that animal, but by the time it came time to do it, I didn't have a choice," Reed said.Maggie suffered only a bruise due to being dragged from the trampoline. The mother suffered a stubbed toe as a result of the scuffle.The animal's carcass was sent to Raleigh for rabies tests, although the results came back "inconclusive" because the animal's brain had been too damaged from the gunshot wounds for clear results, officials said.Health and animal officials are treating the case as if the rabies test came back positive."Coyotes are usually very elusive animals," Leigh Casaus, who heads the county's Animal Control department, said.Coyote attacks are extremely rare, although coyotes traversing the region are not, Casaus said."We can't make wild animals go away. We don't want to -- that's part of the appeal. But people need to be aware and protect themselves," Casaus said.The Reeds, who say they spend time outside their home almost every day, hope others in the area will realize that there are dangerous animals roaming the woods nearby.
I would like to see the results of the DNA test ....
Looks more like a wolf hybrid to me.
sorry coyote hybrids aren't going to be 100lbs. most dogs aren't 100lbs unless they are fat...
Bigger than coyotes but smaller than wolves, their howl is high-pitched and their diet includes deer and small rodents. They are "coywolves" (pronounced "coy," as in playful, "wolves"), and they are flourishing in the northeastern U.S., according to a study published today in Biology Letters.Although coyote–wolf breeding has been reported in Ontario, where coyotes started migrating from the Great Plains in the 1920s, this study provides the first evidence of coywolves—also known as coydogs or eastern coyotes—in the Northeast. And even though they are more coyote (Canis latrans) than wolf (gray wolves are Canis lupus, and red wolves are Canis rufus), the expansion of these hybrids into western New York State marks the return of wolves to the Empire State."It's kind of interesting that we drove this species from the area and it sort of came back in another form," says Roland Kays, curator of mammals at the New York State Museum in Albany and first author on the study.To get a sense of the pedigree of coyotes in the area, Kays and his colleagues examined the genetic material from samples—mostly tissue, hides and skulls—that museums had archived. The source of these samples was itself a sign of the coywolves' success. As Kays points out, specimens came from hunters who killed the dogs in an effort to stem the growing population. Based on the genetic analyses, the team concluded that mating between female coyotes and male wolves was abundant. The researchers also noted that the coywolves have larger, stronger jaws and bigger skulls overall than the so-called straight western coyotes.Although hybrids are typically less fit than straight species, the story of coywolves in the Northeast might be one of success. Their strong jaws will enable them to eat the deer that are abundant in the area, while the coyote-like ability to coexist with humans could be an advantage that wolves lack. "Wolves have not made a comeback on their own in the area because they can't deal with human development," Kays says. "In this case, the hybrid has become more adapted."Another advantage of coyotes and wolves mating is that, unlike many interspecies relationships, their offspring are fertile. Kays points out that it is common for members of the genus, Canis, including coyotes, wolves, and dogs, to "hybridize quite readily." Take that, liger.
Thanks for the information Jackelope, that makes a lot of sense. I still wouldn't want to run into one of those suckers, especially if they lack the fear of humans.
Quote from: CavemantheHunter on June 21, 2011, 11:51:42 AMThanks for the information Jackelope, that makes a lot of sense. I still wouldn't want to run into one of those suckers, especially if they lack the fear of humans.Huh, I thought wolves and coyotes don't ever mix. I thought it was stated by officials that this is impossible. Certainly they have adapted our Wolf Plan for this right? Or, is this only possible on the East side of this Country due to global warming? I am confused?
