‘All of a sudden I feel two big teeth’: 12-year-old boy sent to hospital after being bitten by coyote in Nobleton

A 12-year-old boy is recovering after being bitten by a coyote in Nobleton on Sunday afternoon.

A 12-year-old boy is recovering after being bitten by a coyote in Nobleton, Ont., on Sunday afternoon.

York Regional Police said they received a call for an animal complaint in the area of Highway 27 and King Road at 12:14 p.m.

Police said a 12-year-old boy was bitten by a coyote and he was taken to hospital with minor leg injuries.

“He came running screaming inside the house, saying, ‘Mommy, mommy, I got bit by a coyote,’ and I started screaming,” said Deborah Morra, mom of 12-year-old Rocco Morra.

“I come running down the stairs, and he had four punctures—two in the front and two in the back—and the blood was just squirting out of his leg."

Morra said the family was preparing for guests to arrive for Rocco’s birthday party and he went outside to wait for a friend.

She said Rocco sat down on the curb out front their home and was on his phone when the coyote approached and bit down on his leg.

“All of a sudden I just feel two big teeth on the side of my leg, and it just bites down,” Rocco told CTV News Toronto.

“Then I tried to get up, but I couldn’t and when I finally get up, I start sprinting. I had sandals on so I kind of like, flip them off because I knew I could run faster without them, and I just started running. Then the coyote kind of chased me. But then...when I got in the house, he ran away.”

Police said there have been frequent sightings of coyotes in the Nobleton area and people should use caution. They said Toronto Wildlife and Vaughan Animal Services have been notified.

The Township of King, which includes Nobleton, said last week that it was aware of coyote activity in the community, including encounters with both residents and pets.

“To support our response, Vaughan Animal Services has been engaged and is currently gathering information to help inform a safe and effective controlled response plan,” the township said.

“We understand these encounters can be unsettling, and we want to assure residents that community safety is our top priority.”

The township said residents should never approach or feed a coyote or other wild animals. In case of a coyote encounter, people should shout or wave their arms while backing away from the animal slowly, it said.

“Never run or turn your back on a coyote,” the township said.

Morra said Rocco’s wounds were treated at the hospital with antibiotic injections and he was also given a rabies shot and will have to return for three more.

“It’s alarming to say the least, and it was a very traumatizing experience for him,” said Morra.

“The last thing I want is for him to be afraid to go outside and ride his bike, or go outside and play with his friends, but at the same time, now I’m (like) do I leave him outside on his own? We see coyotes all the time, but they’ve never approached. It’s not like it was provoked. He was literally he just sitting there on his phone, and he didn’t even see it coming.”

Rocco said the experience was traumatizing and ruined his day, but that he was lucky it wasn’t worse.

“I got really lucky, and it could have been way worse...He could have, dug into my skin and ripped off a whole piece...but I got a nice scar there now.”

With files from The Canadian Press