Woman bitten by coyote in Bergen County, N.J., police say
By Andrew Ramos, Jesse Zanger
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New York (WCBS) — A woman was bitten by coyote on Monday afternoon in Bergen County, New Jersey.
It happened at around 1:15 p.m. in the backyard of a home at Woodcrest Drive in Woodcliff Lake, according to police.
The woman, a housekeeper, was bitten on her back and leg while she was out with the family dog. Her injuries are not life-threatening, police said, though she was very shaken up. She was taken to a nearby hospital and given a number of vaccines, and has since returned home.
“This is not very common. It’s the first time in our town,” Woodcliff Lake police Capt. Chad Malloy said.
Surveillance video of the encounter shows the dog and coyote tussling. The coyote was apparently relentless, repeatedly targeting the woman and the dog, a golden retriever.
Animal control also responded to the location.
“If you live near a wooded area, that’s when you’ve got to be more aware of your surroundings, because obviously they lurk in heavily forested areas. Keep pet food inside, don’t leave it outside, your garbage cans locked. Clear any kind of heavy brush that’s in the area, because they like to hide in that. And bird feeders that knock off seeds attract small animals, which attract coyotes,” Malloy said.
Last month, two people in nearby Saddle River were attacked by coyotes. In one of those cases, the coyote tested positive for rabies.
Any residents who see a coyote are urged to call police.
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