A coyote that matches the description of the animal sought in the attack of a 2-year-old boy this week in Lake Highlands has been shot and killed, officials say.
Dallas Animal Services confirmed a coyote was shot by crews with the United States Department of Agriculture Wednesday evening in a residential area near White Rock Lake.
DAS said they were not able to immediately confirm whether the coyote shot and killed was in fact the one that attacked the toddler Tuesday.
Adam Henry, a wildlife damage management biologist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, told NBC 5's partners at The Dallas Morning News that authorities are also looking for physical characteristics that fit the description of the coyote that attacked the toddler, but he added they may “never possibly know” if the animal is the same one.
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Exclusive video captured by an NBC 5 photojournalist appears to show the final moments of the coyote's life as wildlife officials moved in on the animal. Its markings appeared to resemble those on a coyote seen in pictures provided by neighbors following the attack.
The coyote's body will be tested for rabies, DAS said.
The coyote attacked a 2-year-old child outside their Lake Highlands home Tuesday morning in the 9200 block of Royalpine Drive. The boy was hospitalized in critical condition.
