Coyote shot and killed in area where Dallas 2-year-old was attacked; boy expected to recover

DALLAS - A coyote matching the description of the animal authorities were looking for has been captured in the Lake Highlands area where a 2-year-old boy was attacked.

City officials confirmed a USDA crew shot a killed a coyote in the area Wednesday evening. However, they say it’s still unclear if it’s the exact same coyote that attacked a toddler on Tuesday.

The father of the toddler said the little boy will recover after getting gashes on his head and neck and needing surgery.

Dallas Animal Services and other groups are still searching for the coyote. Some neighbors said they’re prepared to take action if they cross the coyote.

Bill Dorsey is a volunteer crossing guard at White Rock Elementary School. It’s where he saw a coyote Tuesday morning.

"They say there’s no guarantee on when they’ll stop," he said. "And we hear the coyotes at night."

Dorsey said it’s uncommon to see them in daylight, so he took a picture. 

"This is extraordinarily rare," he said.

Unfortunately, Dorsey believes it’s the same coyote that, 21 minutes later, attacked a 2-year-old boy a few blocks away.

RELATED: Search underway for 'extremely dangerous' coyote that attacked Dallas 2-year-old

The father of 2-year-old Landon "Knox" Thomas told FOX 4 that his son was only alone on their front porch for a brief moment when the coyote attacked him. His mother ran at the coyote, screaming, and got it to drop her son. 

The toddler has lacerations to his neck and head. He had surgery Tuesday and is expected to recover.

As for the coyote, Brett Johnson, city of Dallas’ urban biologist, said it could be diseased. 

"He was fairly skinny. You can see his ribs. You can see hip bones," he said. "Yes, there is probably mange."

Jaimie Pierce lives and runs in the neighborhood.  She said a coyote recently crept up on her family’s outdoor cat.

"Like, every day there seems to be some type of coyote sighting," she said. "Attacking a human is kind of a whole ‘nother ballpark."

Dallas Animal Services said some residents said they’ve recently reported coyotes in the area. It's reviewing call logs. 

Johnson said there could be several thousand coyotes in Dallas, and the area near White Rock Lake is popular.

"Those are basically wildlife highways," he explained. "It’s because we’ve got that whole corridor or creek corridor that goes up there."

Among the many reported sightings, surveillance video appears to show the coyote chasing a child about a week before it attacked the 2-year-old.

Dorsey said he and some other dads in the neighborhood will be prepared if they come across the coyote.

"Received all but a blessing that if civilians were able to take it out, then we can do so," he said. "We have that capability in my truck."

A neighbor posted that a coyote killed their dog Wednesday just a few blocks. FOX 4 asked DAS to confirm, but they have not responded.