A young girl was seriously injured after a coyote attacked her on a beach, California police said.
Officers were called to the scene near Huntington Beach Pier around 9:45 p.m. Thursday, according to police spokeswoman Jennifer Carey.
They found the girl with “serious but not life-threatening injuries” before she was taken to hospital.
She was with two women and another small child sitting near the sea, when she wandered “a few yards away” and was attacked, said Captain Patrick Foy of the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The animal came out of the darkness and knocked the girl down in an attack that lasted 12 seconds, he added.
He then paced around her before her screams scared him away.
Two coyotes were shot by police following the incident and will be tested for rabies and matched with the victim’s DNA.
Coyotes are common throughout California. File Picture
The animals are common throughout California, with about 10 to 12 attacks in the state per year, Capt. Foy said.
They usually involve young children but adults have suffered a few attacks, he added.
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