MALABAR, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35 ORLANDO) -
A 54-year-old woman attacked by a coyote in Brevard County is being treated in a hospital.
Sheriff's officials say the woman was attacked Wednesday and taken to Palm Bay Hospital. Authorities have not released her condition or name.
The attack happened in Malabar along Florida's east coast.
RELATED: Coyote trouble in Orange County
RELATED: Coyotes hunting in Merritt Island neighborhood
A woman called authorities to say her mother-in-law had been bitten by a coyote. The caller said she shot the dog. Brevard County Animal Control and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission responded to the scene to remove the carcass. Authorities say it will be tested for any disease.
Earlier this year, trappers were called to a Merritt Island neighborhood to track down a pack of coyotes living in an old abandoned orange grove. Residents along South Tropical Cove reported missing pets and suspected that the coyotes were to blame.
Just last month, in Orange County's Dr. Phillips neighborhood, FOX 35 caught up with a trapper who told us that coyotes that are used to the presence of humans should be considered very dangerous. He said trappers will often use anvils, special cages or BB guns to rid a neighborhood of the nuisance animals.
Coyotes are usually three to five feet long and hunt small animals. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, their interaction with humans is becoming more common.
Some information taken from the Associated Press.
