Rutgers Coyote Located, Killed By University Police

PISCATAWAY, NJ — At about 12:30 a.m. on Thursday, Rutgers University police say they located and killed the coyote believed to be responsible for attacking two people in the past week. Both people were attacked while they were walking near the Rutgers Nature Preserve.

The people were attacked and bitten on Thursday, Nov. 14, and Monday, Nov. 18. Wildlife experts suspected it was the same animal responsible for both attacks. Meanwhile, in an unrelated incident, there was a possible coyote sighting Wednesday afternoon in North Brunswick, in a wooded area off Vetter Court near Aaron Road. That is a different coyote.

Rutgers police officers saw the Piscataway coyote near Parking Lot 105 on the Rutgers Livingston campus in Piscataway, near the location of where the second person was bitten on Nov. 18. They saw the animal just past midnight on Thursday.

The officers positioned themselves to move the coyote away from the populated area, but the coyote continued to approach an officer and a police vehicle. The coyote’s unusually aggressive behavior indicated that it was sick, likely with rabies, said a university spokesman.

The officer euthanized the coyote once it was in a safe area.

An animal control officer promptly retrieved the coyote, which will be tested for rabies. Test results are expected sometime next week.

Rutgers University has worked closely with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Fish and Wildlife since the initial Nov. 14 attack. As Patch reported, Fish and Wildlife officials said they suspected both attacks were likely caused by the same coyote. Because coyotes normally avoid people, this one’s aggressive behavior indicated it was most likely sick and would have died from disease in a matter of days.

"A normal healthy coyote will run away. They really have a natural fear of people and don't like to be around people," said Dave Golden, the Fish & Wildlife Director for the state of New Jersey. "But coyotes can get rabies and when they get it, they lose that natural fear of people. They will bite at objects, even inanimate objects."

"If animals are exhibiting aggressive behavior because they are sick, they usually don't have much time left," he continued. "When they reach that point they may only be alive for another week or so because the disease takes over and ultimately kills them."

Fish and Wildlife officials had set non-lethal snares to catch the coyote and said it would need to be euthanized to protect public safety and for rabies testing.

“The safety of our students, faculty, staff and visitors are the highest priority for Rutgers University and the RUPD,” Rutgers University Police Chief Kenneth Cop said. “We thank the DEP Division of Fish and Wildlife for working closely with us to protect our campus community and neighboring communities.”

The Rutgers Ecological Preserve was closed following the Nov. 14 incident and will remain closed until Rutgers police think the coyote threat is gone.

The DEP reminds the public not to feed wildlife.

Keep reading: Rutgers Coyote Attacks: Officials Say Animal May Have Rabies

Second Rutgers Coyote Attack In Less Than A Week