Hiker kills rabid coyote with his bare hands after attack in New England woods

Health officials in New England said a coyote that attacked two people last week in Rhode Island and was later killed by one of its victims tested positive for rabies.

The Feb. 8 and Feb. 9 attacks took place about six miles away from each other in wooded areas, according to information from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management and the Rhode Island Department of Health.

The most recent attack took place Friday and involved a man walking in the woods in Johnston, officials said. After the coyote bit the man on the leg, state officials said, he killed the animal.

Johnston Police Department Chief Mark A. Vieira told USA TODAY the attack took place about 12:15 p.m. and involved a 58-year-old local man walking in a wooded area.

"The hiker reported he was able to subdue the coyote by pinning it down by its neck, subsequently suffocating the coyote," Vieira said Wednesday.

The man was taken to a hospital to be treated for his leg wound, the chief said, but was expected to recover.

State environmental police officers tested the carcass, officials said, and RIDOH's State Health Laboratories confirmed the animal tested positive for the potentially deadly virus.

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An attack one day earlier

The same coyote is believed to have attacked a man walking his dog in Scituate, state health officials reported.

The incidents, officials said, marked the third report of a rabid coyote in Rhode Island since 1994, the Associated Press reported.

Have you come in contact with the coyote?

Rabies is a viral disease often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

"I urge anyone in Scituate and Johnston who may have come into contact with the coyote to call the RIDOH Infectious Disease division,” Rhode Island State Veterinarian Dr. Scott Marshall said in a press release issued by state officials. “If pet owners in these two communities believe their pet has interacted with coyote, call or visit your veterinarian to make sure your pet’s rabies vaccination is current. Rabies is virtually always preventablewith the vaccination. Animal owners also need to report the exposure to your local animal control officer.”

Anyone who may have had contact with the animal is asked to contact the state health department's Center for Acute Infectious Disease Epidemiology.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.