Scottsdale's Most Wanted: Coyote attacks toddlers

Apr. 4—After a "large, healthy" coyote bit at least two Scottsdale toddlers in a week, Scottsdale Police and the Arizona Game & Fish Department were on the lookout for "Scottsdale's Most Wanted."

According to a game and fish tweet, the first report came March 18, at Aztec Park near Frank Lloyd Wright and 100th Street. On Friday, six days later, a second youngster was attacked in the driveway of a home 2 miles south of Aztec Park.

Security camera footage showed the mother, Kelly Pirozzi, walking in front of her home a few steps ahead of her 2-year-old son, when a coyote darts across the driveway and nips the child.

Both victims were treated for minor injuries.

The state department believes the same coyote is responsible for both attacks.

"The coyote shows little fear of people and may have been illegally fed in the past," according to an AZGFD post. "Parents of toddlers in the area should keep their children close when outdoors and be vigilant until AZGFD is able to locate and remove the offending coyote.

"Meanwhile, AZGFD is patrolling the area with assistance from the Scottsdale Police Department."

The state wildlife department asked "coyote sightings in the area of 94th Street//Thompson Peak Parkway along the Central Arizona Project canal to Cactus Road be reported ASAP to 623-236-7201."

There may have been another attack: In response to a Progress Facebook post about the two attacks, a Scottsdale woman posted that a coyote went after two children in a North Scottsdale backyard March 22. The Progress has not been able to confirm this report.

Darryl Toupkin, who will give a presentation at 5:30 p.m. April 5 at Arabian Library on hiking all 63 national parks, was shocked to hear about the coyote aggression.

"I hear about coyotes going after dogs — but not toddlers," he said.

"The problem with coyotes is because they are getting more and more domesticated, it's getting to a situation where they feel comfortable."

Indeed, the Arizona Game & Fish Department suspects someone had been feeding the "most wanted" coyote.

"Coyotes are probably the No. 1 animal we get calls on," Darren Julian of Arizona Game & Fish Department said, in a presentation two months ago at the Mustang Library. (To see the presentation, search "Living with Urban Wildlife Presented by Arizona Game & Fish" on YouTube.)

He emphasized that feeding coyotes makes them lose their natural fear of human contact.

Be aware of your surroundings," Julian recommended. "If you encounter a coyote, first and foremost don't run ... You can't outrun a coyote. Running from a coyote is one of the worst things you can do."

He said there had been 21 coyote attacks on children since 1997, with the latest in 2017 at Thompson Peak Park — until last week's attacks.

"Of those attacks, 18 were related to coyote feeding," he said.

"Worst-case scenario of a coyote bite, four or five stitches," he said. "Conversely, with domestic dogs, you've seen people being killed in the state of Arizona, severely mauled."

Regarding the recent coyote bites, Julian told reporters the state agency the same coyote almost surely attacked the two toddlers. "It's likely that this coyote was emboldened after being fed by humans," he said.

It's not likely that the "Scottsdale's Most Wanted" coyote will live, if found.

"When we get involved, it's because a coyote has crossed the line," he emphasized, at his Scottsdale library presentation.

"When we get involved, it's always lethal."