FORT SMITH, Ark. -
A Fort Smith man who was trying to trap skunks in his backyard got more than he bargained for Tuesday morning, when he was attacked by a hungry coyote.
"It looked really lean, almost like it was starving," said Stanley Ball, who's been trapping and relocating wildlife for more than 30 years. "With all the construction going on around here, it may not be able to catch any food."
Ball and his wife live on Fort Smith's south side, and their home has a wooded area and small creek running through the backyard. They had noticed coyotes in their yard before, and had chased one away before after it forced a neighbor's cat into a tree. But Ball said he had never been attacked before Tuesday.
"I was pulling the cover back from a trapÂ… and I saw it in the woods and it just lunged at me," he said. "I carry a pole with me to check the traps, and I'm glad I had it with me today to fend off the coyote."
Ball wound up killing the animal in self-defense, and luckily wasn't bitten. Wildlife officials say such attacks are rare, even though coyotes are common in many areas across Arkansas.
"I would suspect it was sick or thought he was prey, or more likely it was rabid because they just don't typically attack humans, even little kids," said Randall Bullington, a supervisor with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
Ball said he's worried about other people that live in his area, some of whom have children that are frequently in the woods.
"There are kids that go through here all the time, taking shortcuts to go to their friends' homes and such, and it's kind of dangerous with these animals out there," he said.
While officials say such attacks are rare, they caution that parents should keep an eye on children playing near any wooded area, and take them inside immediately if they see a wild animal.
Ball says if you find yourself in the same situation he was in, facing a wild and aggressive coyote, fighting back or trying to scare it away may be the only option; experts say coyotes can sprint up to 45 mph, much faster than humans can run.
"You can't run from them, not if they come at you," said Ball.
"It looked really lean, almost like it was starving," said Stanley Ball, who's been trapping and relocating wildlife for more than 30 years. "With all the construction going on around here, it may not be able to catch any food."
Ball and his wife live on Fort Smith's south side, and their home has a wooded area and small creek running through the backyard. They had noticed coyotes in their yard before, and had chased one away before after it forced a neighbor's cat into a tree. But Ball said he had never been attacked before Tuesday.
"I was pulling the cover back from a trapÂ… and I saw it in the woods and it just lunged at me," he said. "I carry a pole with me to check the traps, and I'm glad I had it with me today to fend off the coyote."
Ball wound up killing the animal in self-defense, and luckily wasn't bitten. Wildlife officials say such attacks are rare, even though coyotes are common in many areas across Arkansas.
"I would suspect it was sick or thought he was prey, or more likely it was rabid because they just don't typically attack humans, even little kids," said Randall Bullington, a supervisor with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
Ball said he's worried about other people that live in his area, some of whom have children that are frequently in the woods.
"There are kids that go through here all the time, taking shortcuts to go to their friends' homes and such, and it's kind of dangerous with these animals out there," he said.
While officials say such attacks are rare, they caution that parents should keep an eye on children playing near any wooded area, and take them inside immediately if they see a wild animal.
Ball says if you find yourself in the same situation he was in, facing a wild and aggressive coyote, fighting back or trying to scare it away may be the only option; experts say coyotes can sprint up to 45 mph, much faster than humans can run.
"You can't run from them, not if they come at you," said Ball.
