A coyote that California wildlife officials thought had been euthanized after biting a toddler and threatening pets in a trendy Los Angeles neighborhood was seen alive recently, neighborhood residents said.
Wiley, the name given to the coyote by some residents of the village of Atwater, had upset the area with his increasingly aggressive and brazen behavior. The wild animal, which was running through people’s gardens, is believed to have been fed by an unidentified man. Wiley’s presence sparked a local outcry after he bit a 16-month-old child.
The attack prompted California Department of Fish and Wildlife officers to shoot Wiley in October, an action that appeared to bring closure to the neighborhood saga.
Until residents observed Wiley limping around the village of Atwater in recent weeks.
When asked what went wrong, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a statement provided to KTLA that officials shot Wiley on October 16. Department officers were unable to locate the coyote’s body and concluded it was dead.
The department returned to the village of Atwater, where they shot Wiley a second time, confirming Tuesday that the coyote had been killed.
The twist in Wiley’s story brought cold comfort to some residents, who believe the coyote’s death could have been avoided.
“I don’t think he should have been euthanized because coyotes are predators and they’re going to do what they’re going to do,” neighbor Ana Fishman told KTLA. “And it’s not his fault. He should have been moved. I think the fact that coyotes, apparently, in the state of California can’t be moved is wrong.”
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