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Police: NH man chokes coyote to death after it attacked child near pond

KENSINGTON, N.H. — A New Hampshire man fought off and eventually killed a coyote that attacked his family Monday near Judes Pond on the Exeter-Kensington line, local police departments confirmed to WFXT.

One local father choked the coyote to death after the animal attacked his family on the trail near a NH pond, police say.

Posted by Boston 25 News on Monday, January 20, 2020

Exeter police received a call around 11 a.m. Monday that detailed how a father choked the coyote to death after the animal attacked his family on the trail near the pond.

A sergeant with New Hampshire Fish & Game added that the incident began when the coyote attacked one of the father’s three children -- who he and his wife were walking with along the trail. That father -- who officials later identified as Ian O’Reilly of Kensington, New Hampshire -- was able to kick the coyote away from the child before choking the animal to death.

O’Reilly was apparently bitten by the coyote as was the child involved, though New Hampshire Fish & Game say it was unknown if the animal broke the child’s skin due to the excess clothing the child was wearing.

Police in Kensington say other town residents had issues with that same coyote during the day. They say that one person photographed the coyote as it tried to attack a car around 8:40 a.m.

Shortly after, police report that Pat Lee, a 62-year-old Kensington woman, had a run-in with the animal 15 minutes later, when the coyote tried to attack her dogs on Hemlock Road in the town. Lee says that the dogs chased the coyote in their yard after one of the dogs was able to open the porch door.

Lee then closed the door on the coyote’s head after managing to get her dogs inside. The animal escaped before its encounter with O’Reilly sometime later.

New Hampshire Fish & Game say that the same coyote also went after a jogger and her dog, though they did not mention where that incident occurred.

The coyote is now being tested for rabies.