Health officials in New England said a coyote that attacked two people last week in Rhode Island and was later killed by one of its victims tested positive for rabies.
The Feb. 8 and Feb. 9 attacks took place about six miles away from each other in wooded areas, according to information from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management and the Rhode Island Department of Health.
The most recent attack took place Friday and involved a man walking in the woods in Johnston, officials said. After the coyote bit the man on the leg, state officials said, he killed the animal.
Johnston Police Department Chief Mark A. Vieira told USA TODAY the attack took place about 12:15 p.m. and involved a 58-year-old local man walking in a wooded are.
“The hiker reported he was able to subdue the coyote by pinning it down by its neck, subsequently suffocating the coyote,” Vieira said Wednesday.
The man was taken to a hospital to be treated for his leg wound, the chief said, but was expected to recover.