A woman is recovering after being attacked by a coyote while she was outside with the family dog in Bergen County on Monday afternoon.
Surveillance video captured the attack around 1:20 p.m. at a home on Woodcrest Drive in Woodcliff Lake.
The animal pounced on a 31-year-old housekeeper, leaving her with open wounds on her shoulder, arm, back and leg, while she was with a golden retriever in the backyard.
Within seconds on surveillance video, the homeowner bravely runs outside to fight off the animal.
Officials say the coyote also went after the woman’s dog, but it was not seriously injured during the encounter. The coyote then took off.
The backyard of the house is a wooded nature preserve.
“That coyote really attacked that woman. That coyote is probably rabid. Everyone listening should be careful today,” Dr. Dyan Muller a veterinarian said.
The dog’s vet happens to live across the street and said the dog is OK.
The homeowners said the housekeeper is still shaken and now has to undergo a month of rabies shots.
Since the coyote was not caught, it is not known at this point if the animal is rabid.
The local police have reached out to NJ Fish and Wildlife while they caution homeowners to not leave anything edible outside that might tempt wildlife.
“Keep pet food inside, don’t leave it outside. Keep your garbage cans locked, again clear any kind of heavy brush that’s in the area because they like to hide in that. Any bird feeders that knock off seeds attract small animals, which attracts coyotes,” Woodcliff Lake Captain Chad Malloy said.
Capt. Malloy says coyote attacks in the nearby area are rare.
After Monday’s attack and with questions about the health of the animal, however, police are warning residents to be extra mindful of their surroundings, including keeping an eye on their pets, especially if they’re out on walks with or without them. Residents are also urged to have nothing around their homes that might attract wild animals like coyotes.
“If you live near a wooded area, that’s where you got to be more aware of your surroundings, because obviously they lurk in heavily brushed areas,” Malloy said.
In September, police euthanized a coyote after two people were attacked while walking their dogs in the borough of Saddle River in Bergen County.
———-
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* More Manhattan news
* Send us a news tip
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
* Follow us on YouTube
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
