After attacks on children, Arlington partners with federal agency to remove coyotes from park
Arlington is partnering with a federal animal services agency to trap and remove coyotes from a local park after three children were bit in separate incidents, the city announced in a news release Wednesday.
Parkway Central Park, at 600 Van Buren Drive, was closed to the public Tuesday after city officials were notified that two children were bit by a coyote at the park between Sunday and Monday.
The park is north of Interstate 30 and east of North Cooper Street.
In the release Wednesday, the city announced that a third child was bit by a coyote. All three children were treated for their injuries and have been released from the hospital. They will all receive post-exposure rabies treatment.
The city is working with a United States Department of Agriculture wildlife staff to reduce the number of coyotes at the park in an effort to change the pack’s behavior, according to the release. Coyotes that are removed from the park will be tested for rabies and the families of the children who were bitten will be notified of the results.
The park will remain closed until further notice. The city has installed barricades at the park’s entrances and will place signs along the perimeter to notify the community about the coyote activity, the release says.
City officials have also notified surrounding residents and the Arlington school district about the activity after receiving a 911 call about a coyote following pedestrians Wednesday afternoon near the park, according to the release.
The 16.7-acre park sits in the middle of a north Arlington neighborhood filled apartments and houses.
Out of an abundance of caution, animal control and police officers will be present Thursday when students are arriving and leaving Arlington ISD’s Jones Academy of Fine Arts and Dual Language, the city said.
Coyotes, which are typically afraid of people, can be found throughout Arlington, according to Code Compliance Director Brian Daugherty. Sightings may be common, but aggressive encounters have been rare in Arlington, said Daugherty in the release.
“Public Safety is our priority and the City of Arlington had not previously experienced any coyote attacks. Coyotes and other wildlife are now part of our urban environment, and we need to find the best way to coexist,” said Daugherty.
When encountering wildlife, the public is urged to not engage with them or feed them. When feeling threatened, residents are encouraged to make themselves look as large as possible and appear intimidating, the city says. Officials advise bringing whistles, air horns, and walking sticks as a precaution.
Residents are encouraged to wildlife sightings by visiting the city’s Action Center website. To learn more about coyote behavior in urban environments, visit the City of Arlington’s Urban Wildlife Animals website.
