Toddler chased by coyote in Pasadena frontyard caught on surveillance video
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A little boy encountered a heart-stopping coyote right outside his Pasadena, Calif., home on Monday, according to security camera footage that captured the frightening moment.
In the video, the 3-year-old runs towards the driveway and then suddenly freezes. He then turned in panic and ran away at full speed, screaming in terror.
A few minutes later, the coyote appeared on camera, trailing right behind the boy. As the animal crossed the family’s front yard and passed the camera, a much louder scream rang out, appearing to come from an adult.
Based on local output KABC-TVThe child’s mother was right behind him when this sad incident happened.
A child runs away when he encounters a coyote in front of his house. (Leonard Bessemer via Storyful)
“Sal walked out the door like he always did before me,” Aida Svelto said, referring to her son. “Then I heard a scream and Sal came running back. He grabbed my legs and then I screamed because I saw a big, giant coyote.”
After the scream, the coyote retreated the way it came and reappeared on camera.
Despite the close call, Salvo was reportedly unharmed.
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A child runs away from a coyote in Pasadena, California.
Coyotes are not uncommon in Southern California’s rugged neighborhood, but the mother said she has never experienced a coyote intentionally entering her property.
“We’ve seen them, but they usually stay on the street,” Svelto told KABC-TV. “I didn’t really feel nervous. I’m nervous now.”
“This one was bigger and scarier and I really didn’t think it would go after a kid,” he added. “It’s one thing to see them go after a chihuahua or a rabbit or something like that, but he’s pretty big, so it was scary.”
A coyote follows a 3-year-old boy as he runs into his home in Pasadena, California. (Leonard Bessemer via Storyful)
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Experts say the animals are particularly active and curious this time of year, as mating season pushes them to seek out mates and additional food sources.
While coyotes are native to California and play a valuable role in controlling rodent populations and scavenging animal carcasses, they have also been known to sometimes target small pets and, in rare cases, humans.
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