Girl, woman attacked by coyote at South Mountain Reservation in NJ: officials
MAPLEWOOD, N.J. (PIX11) – A 13-year-old girl, a woman, and a dog were attacked by a coyote at South Mountain Reservation in New Jersey Friday afternoon, authorities said.
The girl and her dog were attacked by the coyote around 3 p.m. in a wooded area near a dog park on Bear Lane in the Maplewood portion of South Mountain Reservation, according to the Essex County Sheriff’s Office. The woman was attacked about 90 minutes later around the same wooded area.
The girl was taken to a hospital after the attack in an unknown condition. The woman's condition is also unknown. The injured dog, a Maltese Shih Tzu, is being treated by an emergency veterinarian.
The dog park has since been closed, according to Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo, who warned that anyone visiting South Mountain Reservation should be "extremely cautious" of the coyote.
"With an abundance of caution, we are closing Crest Drive and the South Mountain Dog Park until [Saturday]," DiVincenzo said on Facebook.
South Mountain Reservation is a 2,112-acre nature reserve located within portions of Maplewood, Millburn and West Orange, according to the Essex County Parks website.