A 5-year-old boy was nearly dragged into woods by a coyote until his mom stepped in, Washington officials said.<\/p>\n
The incident happened at about 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31, in the Maplewood Heights neighborhood in Renton, the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife said in a news release.<\/p>\n
A coyote bit the boy \u201cin the upper body,\u201d then tried to drag him into a green belt, officials said.<\/p>\n
His mom saw what happened and rushed to stop the wild animal, and the coyote let the boy go but stayed in the area, officials said.<\/p>\n
The child was taken to a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, officials said. Wildlife officers tried to find the animal to kill it, but it ran into the trees, officials said.<\/p>\n
Renton is about a 10-mile drive southeast from Seattle.<\/p>\n
Coyotes can be found almost anywhere in North America, including in cities and neighborhoods, according to National Geographic.<\/p>\n
\u201cAdaptability \u2014 that\u2019s the main reason for the success of the coyote.<\/p>\n
A coyote is naturally adaptable because it eats such a wide range of food,\u201d National Geographic reported.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf it can\u2019t find mice or voles to eat, lizards, insects, or even garbage will do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s how experts say you can avoid conflicts with coyotes:<\/p>\n