Boy, 5, Attacked by Coyote—in Chicago

A 5-year-old boy was attacked by a coyote Wednesday—in Chicago. The boy was outside the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, which is in the city's Lincoln Park, when the animal bit him "multiple times," including on the head, per police. He was taken to Lurie Children's Hospital, where he was in stable condition, CBS Chicago reports. Shortly before the 4pm attack, a Twitter user sent this video to the news station showing a coyote limping down the sidewalk near the museum. Authorities were still looking for the coyote as of Wednesday night. Hours after the attack on the boy, a 32-year-old man was walking in the city's Gold Coast neighborhood, nearly 3 miles from the museum, when he was also attacked by a coyote, ABC7 reports. He was treated for a scratch and released. A limping coyote was spotted in the nearby Streeterville neighborhood Thursday morning.

CBS Chicago notes that at least 10 coyote sightings have been reported in Chicago over the past week, and that at least two dogs have been attacked by the animals on the city's streets. "In general, coyotes are adapting to cities. They're doing better and better over time as they learn how to make use of these urban landscapes that we've created," says one expert. Experts also note that there's ample food for coyotes in big cities, like rodents and garbage left out. Anyone who sees a coyote is advised not to turn away or run, but rather to engage in "hazing," which involves shouting at the animal or throwing something in its direction. "While it is extremely rare for a coyote to approach or bite a person, residents should take caution if they encounter a coyote and notify Chicago Animal Care and Control by calling 311," CACC says in a statement. (More coyote stories.)