2 Children Bitten by Coyote During School Lunch Hour

Two children were injured by a coyote at a San Clemente elementary school Tuesday after the animal wandered onto campus during the lunch hour, authorities said.

The 8-year-old girl and 7-year-old boy were treated and released at San Clemente Hospital and Medical Center. The girl was treated for minor bite wounds on the back of her neck and the boy for bite wounds on his back and arm, officials said.

Charlotte Hibsch, principal of Truman Benedict Elementary School, where the attacks occurred, said the children were given the first of a series of rabies shots to protect them from possible exposure to the disease.

“We’ve had coyotes at night but never during the day,” Hibsch said. “This is as unusual a situation as I’ve ever seen.”

Authorities did not release the children’s names, citing concerns for their privacy.

A team of wildlife specialists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture searched the campus and its surroundings, eventually cornering two coyotes on a nearby hillside and shooting them with a high-powered rifle.

Jerry Spansail, a captain with the California Department of Fish and Game who was called to the scene, said the attacks appeared to be unprovoked. “It’s extremely unusual to have a coyote attacking a human,” he said, “and extremely unusual to see them during the day.”

Spansail could offer no explanation for the animals’ behavior but said the attack was similar to a handful of other recent incidents in several Southern California cities, including Northridge and Irvine. A wildlife biologist will be assigned to try and determine the cause of the attack, he said.

“We’re bigger than they are, and they should be afraid of us,” Spansail said of the coyotes. “When they’re not, it’s cause for concern.” The carcasses of both animals will be examined and tested for various diseases, including rabies, he said.

Tuesday’s attack happened about 12:15 p.m. when most students were out for the lunchtime recess. According to witnesses, the coyote sauntered into the lunch area, attacked the first student from behind, then ran to a nearby playground area and attacked the second student.

“Some of the children were panicky, some were oblivious, and some thought it was kind of neat,” said Scott Clark, a fourth-grade teacher who helped keep the students calm.

School officials said they “locked down” the campus following the attacks, allowing children to leave only accompanied by their parents. “It was quite orderly,” Hibsch said. “Teachers pitched in to call parents, and the parents were quite calm.”

Nonetheless, said John Robinson, who has a son at the campus, the incident left him concerned. “When you live in an area like this you see [wildlife] all the time,” he said, “but you don’t expect them to be bold enough to do something like this. I like animals and all, but when they become dangerous you’ve got to draw the line.”