Coyote attacks 11-year-old girl in southern Alberta

WARNING: This story contains graphic images of a coyote bite wound.

An 11-year-old girl was attacked by a coyote at a rest stop off of the Trans-Canada Highway on Tuesday.

The Nyberg family was returning home to Brooks, Alta., around 7:30 p.m. after Boxing Day shopping when they stopped for a bathroom break 23 kilometres west of the hamlet of Suffield. 

Hailey Nyberg, the young girl who was attacked by the coyote, explains that the animal bit down on her leg and tried to drag her away from her family’s vehicle multiple times. 

“It bit me three times, trying to drag me into the field,” said Hailey.

“It was pulling me … but I didn’t give up.”

In an interview with CBC News, the 11 year-old girl said she felt like the attack was a dream after seeing the coyote and thinking it was a dog.

“But it turned out it wasn’t. It turned out to be very scary.”

Alyshia Nyberg, Hailey’s mom, made a Facebook post about the incident to warn others about what the family calls an unusually aggressive attack.

“I heard her scream and I saw the coyote attached to her leg and I went into full panic mode,” said the mother. 

Hailey’s father, Dustin Nyberg, said he was able to grab hold of his daughter during the attack, but the animal wouldn’t let go of her leg. He recalls trying to make noise as their daughter kicked and screamed until the coyote eventually let go.

“We were able to get her to the car … but [the coyote] was still coming toward us,” he said.

“He didn’t give up. He let go of her, but he didn’t give up that easily.”

Dustin says they reported the incident and Alberta Fish and Wildlife is taking the attack seriously due to the popularity of the rest stop for travellers and the rare nature of a coyote attack as aggressive as this one.

In an email statement to CBC News, Fish and Wildlife said they received the family’s report on Wednesday and an officer then visited the location of the attack.

“After several hours on site, the officer did not locate the coyote. There were also no noticeable attractants at the site and both garbage bins had been recently cleared out,” reads the statement.

The family took their daughter to the Brooks Hospital emergency room immediately after she was attacked. Dustin says his daughter received six vaccinations so far for infections, rabies and tetanus, but will still need three more over the course of the next two weeks.

Hailey is now resting and on the road to recovery, and Alyshia says the family is thankful for the medical team at the Brooks Hospital.

According to the statement from Fish and Wildlife, and advice from the Government of Alberta’s website, people should remember these tips of they encounter a coyote: 

• Never feed coyotes — intentionally or unintentionally — as it “inevitably leads to unsafe situations.”
• Make yourself appear large by waving your arms above your head, or thrust large objects toward the animal aggressively.
• Throw sticks, rocks or other nearby objects toward the coyote to scare it off.
• Always maintain eye contact with the coyote, and never turn your back or run away, as the animal will be encouraged to chase you.
• Shout in a deep voice, clap your hands at the animal and carry a whistle or air horn to make loud noises during a coyote encounter.
• Make the encounter experience as unpleasant as you can for the coyote so it does not feel welcome near humans.
• If it continues to approach, back away from the coyote slowly and move closer to a busy area with buildings or human activity.
• Finally, for aggressive encounters, phone Alberta’s Report-A-Poacher line at 1-800-642-3800 after the incident.