A person was injured by a coyote in Chester County
The incident happened Sunday in Warwick Township, health officials said.
A person was injured by a coyote this week in Chester County, and officials are trying to locate the animal, health officials said.
The Chester County Health Department said in a social media post that the injured person was seeking medical care. The incident happened Sunday on Warwick Furnace Road in Warwick Township.
The injury, which broke skin, occurred on a trail during daylight hours, a spokesperson for the county said in an email Wednesday. No one else was involved, and there have been no further reports of contact with a coyote in that area, he said.
The department does not know if the coyote was rabid.
The last incident with a coyote was reported to the health department in late October, in the southern part of the county, the spokesperson said. Several people were injured, and the coyote was rabid, the health department said at the time. Everyone injured was identified and was provided medical guidance in that incident, the department said.
The state game commission was involved with locating the coyote, officials said.
Coyotes are not necessarily rare in Pennsylvania, and their numbers are growing. They have been spotted near Philadelphia, and can thrive in suburban and urban areas, according to Chester County’s parks department.
In Chester County, they are usually spotted near heavy, brushy cover and around woods, fields, and agricultural areas where their prey (mice, voles, rabbits, woodchucks, and birds) live. Sightings and signs have been reported in all county parks, the county said previously.
They rarely attack humans, but they will engage with pets. (Health officials advised residents to remain aware of their pets following this week’s incident in Warwick Township.)
Residents who come in contact with a coyote were asked to call the Chester County health department at 610-344-6225 for further information and guidance